Pakistan
Between April and June 2009, nearly 2.3 million people in northwest Pakistan fled their homes to escape the conflict between the military and Taliban insurgents. Now that peace has been restored to many parts of Buner, Swat, Dir and Shangla districts, approximately 1.64 million people have returned home; 140,530 remain displaced.
Many returning families have to cope with damaged or destroyed homes, as well as lost livelihoods. Those who stayed behind are also struggling to cope — many were marooned during the fighting, with no means of accessing relief goods, food or health services. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people still live in camps or with host communities because conflict continues in their region. Their future remains uncertain as they endure crowded living conditions, and their hosts’ resources are stretched to the limit.
Children who have returned home — as well as those who are still displaced — are suffering from myriad health issues due to overcrowding, malnutrition and poor hygiene. Skin diseases (particularly scabies), diarrhea and respiratory infections are common. Eager to return to school and resume their normal lives, many children (especially girls) must wait at home until their damaged or destroyed schools have been rehabilitated, or temporary schools can be erected. Children are also trying to cope with their families’ stress. Crops have been destroyed, livestock lost and homes looted, and many families are facing tremendous financial pressure. In many areas, the tense security situation compounds these worries. Such stressful conditions add to many children’s anxiety and slow their emotional recovery.
The government and humanitarian aid agencies are continuing to assist three vulnerable groups: those who remain displaced, those who returned home, and those who endured the conflict (but were unable to leave). Although peace has been restored to some areas of NWFP, fighting continues in other regions. At present, there are ongoing military operations in the Bara area of Khyber agency. The unstable security situation may be the greatest single challenge to the relief and recovery effort. 
Save the Children's Response
Save the Children has worked in Pakistan for more than 25 years. In May 2009, the Save the Children Alliance launched a unified response to help the thousands of displaced families in North West Frontier Province. Through this program, Save the Children has reached an estimated 456,141 persons (including approximately 273,684 children) with emergency healthcare, relief goods, child protection, education, livelihood, and food distribution programming. We have exceeded our goal of reaching 280,000 IDPs (including 168,000 children) over a period of six months. Save the Children’s interventions are focusing on displaced families living in Mardan and Swabi districts, as well as returnee and conflict-affected families in Buner and Swat districts.
Save the Children needs your support to help us meet the most critical needs of children and families in Pakistan. If you would like to donate to Save the Children please select your national organisation from the list below, or visit Save the Children US Website. Your donation will help provide drinking water, food distribution and other necessities.
More information
For more information and for interviews, please contact Kate Conradt, Director, Media and Communications, on: +1-202-640-6631.
More on our response
Eye Witness Accounts
Voices Fleeing the Fighting: One Pakistani Family’s Story
Video Pakistan Children in Crisis: Anna Ford from Islamabad
Press Releases
Save the Children Responds to Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Pakistan (19 May 2009)
Health Risks on the Rise for Pakistan’s Displaced Children (15 May 2009)
Displaced Children in Northwestern Pakistan Need Your Help Now (13 May 2009)
Save the Children Provides Humanitarian Assistance to Children and Families Displaced by Fighting in Northwest Pakistan (11 May 2009)