New York: United Nations humanitarian agencies and partners are aiding nearly half a million people along the Pakistan-Afghan border, uprooted by a Pakistani offensive against armed insurgents in the North Wazirstan Agency tribal areas. Since the full-scale military operations were announced on 15 June, some 400,000 people had left their homes within the first week, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). An estimated 74 per cent of the displaced are women and children “Thousands were expected to remain displaced as the military operations are expected to be extended to other parts of the Agency,” spokesperson Jens Laerke cautioned journalists in Geneva. An additional 95,000 people are moving into Afghanistan’s Khost province. Mr. Laerke said the Regional Disaster Mangement Authorities had established two camps but only a small percentage of the 468,000 displaced people were seeking shelter assistance in camps. “They preferred to stay with relatives or friends or in rented accommodation where they had better access to running water and electricity,” he said. At registration, each displaced family received $400 to cover medical needs, rental support and other necessities, including a Ramadan package this month. Each month after, the family will receive $150.
