A majority of internally displaced people (IDPs) from Bara region of Khyber Agency are reluctant to stay in the tent village set up at Jalozai and prefer to stay in urban cities and towns.
“Only 10 percent of the IDPs are residing in Jalozai Refugee camp near Peshawar,” said Adnan Khan, spokesman for FATA Disaster Management Authority.
Those residing in Jalozai tent village are extremely poor and helpless people and lack near and dear ones in Peshawar and its surrounding areas, one of the tribal elder said.
Afridi informed that so far 58,000 families comprising 268,721 IDPs from Bara had registered at Jalozai. Amongst them, only 10,172 families with around 50,000 were residing in the tent village.
A majority after getting registered went to urban areas.
He said 219,000 individuals from around 47,000 families registered are now scattered in Peshawar and its surrounding areas.
The government with support of UN agencies like UNHCR, UNICEF and other international organization established the camp for IDPs. A volunteer informed that so far over 100,000 families from all over Khyber fled home and were residing as IDPs in Jalozai and other parts of Peshawar. According to a volunteer, sizzling heat, lack of proper living infrastructure and other due facilities was forcing IDPs to head to urban cities and towns. Majority of them were living with relatives and friends, while well to do families had rented houses.
But those who were extremely poor and had no relatives or friends were compelled to stay in the tent village. Adnan Khan said the government with collaboration of UN and other international donors was providing tents, plastic sheets, utensils and other food and non-food items. “So far there is no arrangement for cash or financial assistance,” he added.
On the other hand, UNICEF and other international organizations drew the people’s attention towards the plight of children displaced from Khyber Agency. Certain reports quoted UN official as saying that around 50 percent of IDPs were children and belonged to cold areas. But Jalozai is considered a tough and hot region in the outskirts of Peshawar.
Now the children of IDPs are developing various physical and psychological diseases. In this respect, the international organizations have requested the global community to realize its responsibilities regarding the future of these children.