BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA) and OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA) has published the report called Fact Sheet #7, Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 about the current prevailing swat crisis and US assistance for it. The last report was published on 14 May 2009. Both reports show a huge difference in terms of increasing number of refugees registering in the camps. Almost 2 million people had flee from the northern areas of Pakistan and now living in tents.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• On May 18, USAID activated a Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Team to coordinate U.S. Government (USG) relief efforts. USAID is also deploying a Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) to Pakistan to support Government of Pakistan (GoP) relief efforts, manage the USG humanitarian response, and coordinate with the humanitarian community.
• As of May 18, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had registered approximately 1.45 million new internally displaced persons (IDPs) since May 2, including more than 130,000 IDPs in camps and more than 1.3 million individuals residing outside of camps in host communities. Newly displaced populations bring the total registered IDP caseload in Pakistan to more than 2 million individuals. The USAID/DART in Pakistan notes that IDP numbers continue to rapidly increase.
• On May 19, Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton pledged more than $100 million in additional USG humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected persons in Pakistan.

CURRENT SITUATION

• The security situation in NWFP and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) remains unstable. Ongoing conflict, including Taliban advances and resulting military operations in NWFP and FATA, has caused substantial displacement and significantly limited humanitarian access to populations in conflict zones.
• The U.N., GoP, and the international donor community continue to assess the needs of IDPs and host community populations and closely coordinate to plan humanitarian interventions.

Displacement in NWFP

• As of May 19, in coordination with UNHCR, the GoP Provincial Relief Coordinator (PRC) had established 75 IDP registration points in Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Nowshera, Kohat, and Peshawar districts, each with 15 to 20 registration counters. The PRC is reserving some of the registration counters for women and people with special needs.
• As of May 18, UNHCR reported a total of more than 2 million registered IDPs in NWFP, including more than 1.45 million registered between May 2 and May 18 and nearly 557,000 registered between August 2008 and May 2, 2009. Of this caseload, nearly 222,000 IDPs are residing in camps, and more than 1,786,000 IDPs are located outside camps in rental accommodations or with host families.
• Current IDP estimates do not include persons who may be displaced within Buner, Lower Dir, and Swat districts, where limited or no humanitarian access continues to impede relief efforts.
• In FY 2008 and to date in FY 2009, USAID/OFDA has provided more than $24.3 million in humanitarian assistance for displaced and conflict-affected individuals and host communities, in coordination with implementing partners.
• As of May 18, IDP populations were taking shelter in 23 camps in NWFP.

Health

• On May 16, the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the general health situation in IDP camps and host communities remains stable. WHO and partner organizations continue to closely monitor health conditions in IDP camps.
• As of May 18, USAID/OFDA partners were conducting health assessments of camp populations.
• On May 13, a three-member WHO team arrived in Islamabad to support WHO response activities. WHO is working with U.N. Health Cluster partners to support health posts in IDP camps in NWFP and mobile outreach for IDPs living in host communities.
• Since May 9, WHO has delivered 20 emergency health kits to NWFP to provide basic health supplies for 120,000 individuals for approximately one month.

Emergency Food Assistance

• Between May 1 and May 19, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) distributed approximately 10,200 metric tons (MT) to more than 685,000 conflict-affected persons in Pakistan.
• As of May 19, WFP had increased the number of humanitarian distribution points from 12 to 18 to provide emergency food assistance to populations currently residing in host communities. WFP is also coordinating with district officials to identify space for eight additional hubs in Mardan and Swabi districts.