Off-camp one million

By Waseem Ahmad Shah
Saturday, 16 May, 2009

PESHAWAR: With thousands of terrified people still streaming out of the conflict-hit areas of Malakand region, the number of fresh registered internally displaced persons (IDPs) off-camp has crossed one million individuals on Friday as the number of all the registered IDPs has increased to over 1.7 million.

The official figures update received from the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) shows that around 133,557 families with 1.018 million individuals have so far been registered at different centres set up for registration of off-camp IDPs at Mardan, Malakand, Nowshera, Charsadda, Peshawar and Swabi.

Moreover, around 21,291 families having 162,632 persons have so far been registered at different camps set up for the newly arriving IDPs.

The number of registered IDPs would increase further as large number of them who fled Mingora and other areas during relaxation of curfew on Friday have yet to be registered.

The total registered IDPs including both old and fresh has increased to 244,207 families with 1.716 million individuals.

Now the total number of registered off-camp IDPs has increased to 211,073 families with 1.481 million individuals which also include the old registered 77,516 families (462,528 individuals) off-camp.

Similarly, the registered families in camps on Thursday were 33,134 having 234,589 members which also include the old registered 11,843 families with 71,957 individuals.

During last couple of days the number of previously registered IDPs in camps have reduced from 91,017 individuals to 71,957 as large number of IDPs from Bajaur have left the camps in Lower Dir and returned back to their respective areas.

Presently, 16 camps have been established for the new IDPs in different areas. The camp at Dargai in Malakand has been housing around 7,488 families with 70,867 individuals. Another major camp is at Palai where 3,627 families have been registered having 24,726 individuals.

Moreover, in the New Jalozai Camp in Nowshera the number of registered families is 2,428 with 15,158 members. The earlier phases of Jalozai camp have already been housing 7,787 families from Bajaur and Mohmand Agencies with 47,738 individuals.

At the relief camps at Sheikh Yaseen and Sheikh Shehzad in Mardan so far 1,907 families (12,576 individuals) and 1,354 families (8,079 individuals), respectively, have been registered.

Among the off-camp IDPs the largest number, 69,055 families (587,356 persons), has been registered in Mardan, whereas 27,965 families (167,780 persons) have been registered in Swabi.

Similarly, 17,645 families with 140,727 persons have been registered in Malakand; 9,534 families (58,204 persons) in Peshawar; 6,316 families (44,267 persons) in Charsadda; and 3,042 families (20,575 persons) in Nowshera.