SOS Children to offer emergency shelter to Pakistani refugees

The recent violence that has gripped Northwest Pakistan and the subsequent military action has displaced over a million civilians and thousands more are expected to become refugees. Nearly 100,000 homes have been reduced to rubble. Whole families have been left with no option but to flee their war-torn communities. The majority of the victims of this ongoing violence are children whose prospects for the immediate future are far from bright.

A myriad of problems including rising temperatures, lack of clean water, lack of proper sanitation and insufficient healthcare are making living conditions increasingly challenging and making the people extremely susceptible to disease and other risks. So far, almost 2.2 million people have been displaced as a consequence of the recent upheaval in the country. There are at least 22 relief camps operating in the area. 36,032 families (2, 21,240 individuals) have been registered in and outside the camps and new sites for establishing camps are being identified in Swabi, Nowshera and other areas. The transportation for stranded people in the conflict zone is being arranged by provincial authorities in coordination with military authorities.

From the very start of the conflict in Northwest Pakistan, SOS Children's Villages Pakistan has been in contact with the government authorities and NGOs working in the area, and has offered to accommodate any orphans. The Government of the North-West Frontier Province has now requested SOS Children's Villages Pakistan to assist in organizing a shelter for women and children, entirely funded by the government, similar to facilities provided for victims of the Kashmir earthquake.

After detailed discussions with the Emergency Response Unit and the government of NWFP it has been decided that, with their collaboration, an SOS Children’s Village Emergency Shelter for IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) will be established in Peshawar. A building has been identified and is being renovated. Training of staff will be done in the SOS Children’s Village Rawalpindi. This shelter should be operational very shortly and we will keep you informed on such issues as how many refugees the shelter will provide for, what the timefame of this measure is and what services will be provided for the refugees.

To donate to our Emergency Relief efforts, please call us on 01223 365 589 or donate online here. Thank you.