UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – The top United Nations humanitarian official in Pakistan on Tuesday has called on the international community to support the country’s citizens that have been displaced.

The Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2010 – put together by the Government, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other aid actors – will enable continued assistance in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) for at least another six months.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan Martin Mogwanja urged the international donor community “to keep up their invaluable contributions to enable the humanitarians to continue assisting the people in need in Pakistan.”

A total number of 3.1 million people from NWFP and FATA were displaced in 2009 due to Government operations against militants in these areas. The funds sought for the response plan just launched will not only respond to the needs of the internally displaced persons (IDPs), but also support those who have returned, those who never left, and the families who opened their homes to host the displaced.

Mogwanja is asking the international community to contribute to a $537 million appeal launched to meet immediate relief needs. The largest share of the requested funds – $195 million – will be needed for food-related projects, since a large part of the affected population will continue to depend on food aid. Other priority areas include shelter and non-food items, health, water, and sanitation, agriculture, and then coordination and management of IDP camps, among others.

As of December 2009, last year’s $680 million appeal was 71 per cent funded. Those funds enabled the humanitarian community to reach more than four million people in need of assistance with vital relief including food and drinking water.