November 11, 2008	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 12, 1429

PESHAWAR, Nov 10: The NWFP government has sought creation of a fund to rehabilitate internally displaced persons affected by military operations in Swat and Bajaur and recent floods in Peshawar.

A demand to this effect was made at a meeting here on Monday, where a mission of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) kicked off need assessment for rehabilitation of IDPs, an official told Dawn.

The UNDP mission accompanied by officials of the National Disaster Management Authority arrived in Peshawar to get firsthand information about IDPs’ requirements and work out a roadmap for their rehabilitation.

The mission held a preliminary session with heads of NWFP government departments on Monday and it will finalise its assessment within the next two weeks. During this period, the mission will hold meetings with officials concerned of all the relevant departments and finalise its report.

According to official statistics, over 31,000 IDPs from the Bajaur Agency have been accommodated in various camps in Peshawar, Lower Dir and other districts of the province and more than 70,000 people who fled the troubled area have taken shelter with their relatives.

Fresh exodus has been reported from different parts of the Mohmand Agency where a military operation against militants is likely to be started.