On hearing the news on the increasing number of IDPs coming to Bannu after the Operation Zarb-e-Azb was announced, I began to visit them in order to help the IDPs by providing them with basic relief items. Upon my recent third trip mainly focused on providing women and children with assistance, my attention was promptly diverted towards the unending problems they were facing.
The Federal Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) registered 71,654 displaced families comprising of 227,212 males, 252,721 females and 372,562 children as of 8th July, 2014. Since the day the IDPs came walking from North Waziristan to Bannu in sweltering heat, women and children have not been provided with the kind of assistance they ought to receive. Most male heads of the families are overseas for work and their womenfolk have been showing up for registration without CNICs. Lack of CNIC for registration by most of the female Head of Households (widows or women with husbands’ overseas) did not allow them to register and claim assistance. There are many women lacking CNIC registration due to which they were not provided with IDP registration cards depriving them of relief assistance by Army, NGOs, Individuals and government etc.
The women in Pashtun tribal society are treated in their own way. They are bound to stay at home and are not involved in any community business. Women represent the concept of honor for the men in the region not getting much honor in return. There are numerous challenges faced by females born in a Pashtun tribal family. The reputation of the family depends on the woman’s behavior. This disparity is obvious by barring of females from the “Jirga”. In the existing situation women carrying NIC registration are also unable to receive assistance as the men of the families have banned some from going out and the tribal elders (Maliks) have announced punishment for women going out to receive relief items even in shuttle cock Burqa. There were neither any separate registration points for women, nor separate checking points facilitated by women volunteers.
At present Women and children IDPs are at a heightened risk. There are around 2100 pregnant women registered as IDPs, having special health needs being ignored lacking the protection formerly afforded by families and community. “I was three months pregnant when I came to Bannu and the Doctors here charge Rs.5000 for only checkup which we cannot afford” – A woman IDP from Mirali North Waziristan.
Women and Children are more prone to exploitation and abuse. Women and girls are often the systematic target of sexual violence. Children may be separated from those who care for them and put at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation and recruitment into armed forces. Their entire childhood may be disturbed, with little access to education and few opportunities as they grow older to take on the usual roles and responsibilities of adulthood. While all these issues also affect refugees, research shows that internally displaced women and children usually fare even worse.
I got a chance to visit Pakistan People’s Party IDP Camp as they are solely focused on women and children. They have registered 100 pregnant women to be assisted and have so far provided them with clothes, cash and food supplies. They have provided space for widows making it easy for them to receive assistance instead of going out. Such efforts by different political parties, NGOs and individuals are commendable but still not enough. In the past month things have not been streamlined by the responsible government.
In order to overcome their problems, a NADRA counter for IDPs should be established at Bannu (NADRA office) and the process of obtaining CNICs should be simplified for women. There must be separate, culturally appropriate distribution points for women with women volunteers assisting them. The Women IDPs have come in winter clothes and thick burkas and are suffering 42 degrees Celsius temperature of Bannu. Their specific needs including summer clothes, hygienic items, shelter (tents), and food supplies are required to be addressed. On the other hand
children IDPs are out of school; out in the heat of barren land facing heat stroke, skin infections etc. There must be child friendly spaces set up to provide activities, educational facilities for children.. The homelessness brings various serious psychological disorders that will result in generation of a handicap society. Psychological consultation and sessions must be held especially for females and children (since they are most vulnerable to psychological disorders) to address the cognitive and psychoanalytical issues among them. This will also lead to confidence building and optimistic approach towards life. Instead of keeping the IDPs in the camps for an uncertain period of time, the affected must be provided with some suitable economic resources for their living and to maintain their dignity and self-reliance independence. These issues are not to be taken lightly and it’s already quite late to delay this further
published on august 4th, 2014 in dailytimes
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