UN urges safe return for displaced Pakistanis
July 11th, 2009 - 4:56 am ICT by IANS
Islamabad, July 11 (IANS) The displaced Pakistanis should not be forced to return to their homes until the security situation improves in the northwest, the UN has said.
UN emergency relief coordinator John Holmes said the conditions have to be right before people are encouraged to return.
“We would like people to go to their homes as soon as possible, but that process has to be voluntary. They need to be involved in those choices. The conditions need to be right. That means the security needs to be right, the basic services need to be there,” he said.
Holmes said the global aid response for the displaced Pakistanis has been poor, as only $230 million has been received of the total $543 million requested by the UN.
The displaced people are facing a tough situation at the relief camps due to the hot and humid weather conditions, the Online news agency said Friday citing the official.
He said more funds are needed to tackle the health problems at the relief camps.
Many people are wary about going back to their homes due to the existing heat wave conditions in the region, he said.
He added that billions of rupees will be required to rebuild the affected areas in northwest Pakistan where the security forces killed hundreds of militants in the past three months as part of a major offensive against the Taliban.
Thousands of people have fled the area after the conflict intensified, many ending up at the relief camps set up by the government and aid agencies outside the battle grounds.
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Tags: battle grounds, billions, emergency relief coordinator, global aid, health problems, heat wave, humid weather conditions, john holmes, militants, news agency, pakistanis, relief camps, rupees, safe return, security forces, security situation, taliban, three months, wave conditions, would like people