By Wajid Ali Syed – Washington Correspondent for Asian Tribune
Washington, 12 May, (Asiantribune.com): UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres today appealed for international solidarity in support of hundreds of thousands of displaced Pakistani civilians and announced a UNHCR airlift to rush tonnes of additional humanitarian supplies to the north-west of the country.
The agency already has a large operation in Pakistan, in a press statement said "the total number of displaced Pakistanis registered by authorities with UNHCR help since May 2 has now reached more than 360,000 people."
As part of the joint UN response to the current displacement crisis, UNHCR has assisted the government in establishing three new camps for internally displaced people in Mardan and Swabi districts, and is helping the Pakistan Red Crescent set up a fourth. UNHCR site planners are also assessing the suitability of land for additional camps in the region already identified by the government.
The refugee agency is also working with authorities to expand the
number of registration centres in Mardan, Swabi and Charsadda districts from a dozen to 75 to speed up the registration process.
UNHCR statement further announced an airlift that will carry some 120 tonnes of urgently needed humanitarian supplies from Dubai. The chartered Boeing 747 cargo plane will deliver 14,000 plastic sheets; 1,500 large roles of plastic; 10,000 mosquito nets; and two large, portable warehouses. The total cost of the airlift, as reported, is $584,000.
- Asian Tribune -
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