Pakistan: Situation Report No. 17

This report was issued by OCHA HQ with a coverage period from 2 September to 9 September 2009. The next report will be issued on or around 18 September, 2009.

I. Highlights/key priorities:

- The Government has decided to re-open IDP registration for newly displaced persons and to re-screen the remaining IDPs in camps and in host communities.

- Rehabilitation of 1,191 schools has been completed, while work on 1,125 is continuing.

- A disproportionate number of female-headed households are not receiving their food entitlements each month.

II. Situation Overview

IDP Registration: This week, the Government decided to re-open IDP registration for newly displaced persons and to re-screen the remaining IDPs in camps and host communities. Consultations are ongoing on the process and the application of this new registration. The Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees (CAR) also reported that the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) has set up a grievance desk in the Jalozai transition Camp to address IDP registration-related problems from 1 to 10 September. It is expected that similar mechanisms will be established in other camps and humanitarian hubs as well. The functioning of these mechanisms of registration and addressing grievance will be assessed in the coming weeks.

NADRA has confirmed newly verified registration numbers for IDPs from Waziristan. Of a total of 17,375 registered families (128,262 individuals), 11,080 families (80,507 individuals) have been verified: 8,281 families (57,967 people) in D.I. Khan District, 2,756 families (19,292 individuals) in Tank District, and 43 families whose place of origin could not be confirmed. Local stakeholders are concerned about the remaining, non-verified registrants.

No major displacements as a result of ongoing military operations in the Bara area of Khyber Agency were registered.

The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.

Ramadan: The traditional end of Ramadan, Eid ul-Fitr, is expected to fall on 22 or 23 September. In addition to a previously reported Ramadan food distribution by WFP, a special UNHCR Ramadan/Eid package of 25 kg of mixed food items is being distributed this week to 15,826 IDP families (110,782 individuals) in camps and to 5,000 IDPs (35,000 people) outside of camps. The Ramadan package contains 5 kg rice, 3 kg sugar, 1 kg salt, 2 kg dates, 1 kg spices, 3 kg juice powder, 4 kg bread flour, 3 kg Pakora flour, 2 kg milk powder and 1 kg tea.

Security: The total number of security incidents decreased, and the number of attacks and armed clash incidents decreased significantly in NWFP and FATA regions