Many of the displaced are women on their own, who find themselves in an unfamiliar situation (Photo © Tariq Saeed/IRIN)
With as many as 2.5 million people fleeing fighting in northern Pakistan’s Swat valley, CMS regional manager John Hayward brings us up to date with what’s happening on the ground
Taliban insurgents have been waging a campaign in northern Pakistan for several years, effectively setting up a parallel government in some districts.
In February the Pakistan government agreed a ceasefire and allowed the Taliban to implement Sharia law in the Swat valley.
In April, the peace agreement broke down and the Pakistan army moved to re-take control of the Swat valley and surrounding areas. This was to ensure that the creeping Islamisation of the country was stopped as it had become clear that Taliban groups were creating a corridor to Afghanistan and moving towards Islamabad, the capital.
It is estimated that between 1.2 million and 2.5 million people have fled the affected area.
UN agencies are amazed at the speed with which people have fled.
Taliban brutality
The situation has been deteriorating steadily over the last year or more and people have not accepted the brutality and style of Sharia law that has been imposed on them, which included destroying girls' schools, the public beating of women, enforced growing of beards, determining what clothing can be worn, banning all forms of music and many other forms of entertainment.
People of the valley see an offensive against a now entrenched Taliban as very dangerous for them. Moving southwards, many are staying with relatives, impoverishing them unless they get support for food, drinking water and basic needs.
Some large camps are being set up by the government, UN agencies and NGOs. CMS partners in the area are engaging in the consultations taking place to make a coordinated response to the immense humanitarian need that has suddenly been created.
Christian response
Mardan is a town at the end of the main pass out of the Swat valley and the Church of Pakistan (Diocese of Peshawar) has extensive property there in which the diocese is setting up a camp for Christian internally displaced people.
The diocese estimates about 150 families will be staying there and need support. Other people have fled further to the provincial capital, Peshawar, and the diocese has set up a further camp in the old mission hospital. The diocese is appealing for financial support to enable it to provide basic necessities to these people.
A CMS partner based in Abbottabad – the Pakistan Mission Society (PMS) – has been to the NGO consultation meeting and has set out its proposal for helping families south of the valley.
Although PMS is only a few years old it is well experienced through responding to the 2005 earthquake and has also undertaken humanitarian aid in response to the floods in the south-west of Pakistan in 2007. CMS has much in common with this organisation. PMS has appealed to various organisations for help and CMS has responded to them with an offer to seek funding.
Phil Simpson, the CMS regional director for Asia, is in northern Pakistan to assess the situation, to meet various people engaged in relief and relationship-building work and to review the options for CMS involvement with Aamir Shahzad, our country consultant.
All CMS people in mission are safe and we are in contact with them. There are questions about their continued safety if the fighting spreads or if the Taliban start attacks, kidnapping or other diversionary activities in other parts of the country. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take advice from people in the country to support those working to ameliorate the plight of displace people.
If you would like to contribute financially to the Church's relief efforts, you can do so through CMS. Please use the link below, or send a cheque to CMS mentioning reference BDR (CMS, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ).