PESHAWAR, July 11: The Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) is short of tents, food and non-food items for the people displaced by the military operation launched in central Kurram Agency a week ago and awaiting relief assistance from the United Nations, official sources say.

“The FDMA needs tents, food, non-food items, health and washing facilities for the IDPs,” an official told on Monday, adding that residents were still fleeing the area. Sources in the FDMA said that the representatives of the UN agencies visited the area twice last week to assess the overall situation.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) meanwhile directed the Hangu district authorities to start registration of families displaced by military operation launched in central Kurram Agency a week ago, an official said.

PDMA spokesman Adnan Khan told Dawn that the internally displaced families from central Kurram would be provided shelter at Togh Serai Camp in Hangu.

According to Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA), around 6,000 families had fled their homes in the militarised area of Kurram where operation against militants was launched last week.

The FDMA said that some 600 families had been registered at New Durrani Camp in lower Kurram, while 6,000 families were registered off camp residing with host families and in government buildings.

Mr Khan said that directives had been issued to the district authorities to start immediate registration of 400 displaced families and provide them all the basic facilities. The camp is already housing a large number of IDPs from Orakzai Agency. He said that the PDMA had also sought relief assistance from the UN and other humanitarian organisations for the new families and the existing camp had capacity to accommodate more IDPs.

Meanwhile, Medicine Sans Frontier has started relief activities to respond to the current situation, said a press release. It said that with the start of the military operation, the MSF had witnessed an increase in the number of consultations in the paediatric ward of the Sadda hospital.

It said that ambulance capacity would be increased to ensure good referral conditions, notably for the severely injured patients. “The MSF is looking for a bigger observation room that would allow setting more beds in our paediatric ward and supplementary drugs will be provided to our projects,” the statement said.

Director Fata (health) Dr Fawad Khan said that the situation concerning health facilities to the migrating people was under control. “Our health staff has been deputed in camp where they provide diagnostic and treatment facilities to the people,” he said.

Health facilities in the relatively peaceful areas have been strengthened to provide assistance to families residing temporarily with friends and relatives, he claimed. He said that essential medicines and supplies had been provided to prevent epidemics.

Dr Fawad said that that a UN mission had recently visited the area and was compiling an assessment report concerning the immediate health needs at the camp.

“We are responding to the requests made by the political administration,” he said.

APP adds: Federal Minister for State and Frontier Regions (Safron) Shaukatullah has asked the FDMA and UN agencies to ensure provision of all necessary facilities such shelter, food, medicine and education to the tribesmen displaced due to ongoing military operation in Kurram Agency and other IDPs belonging to different agencies of Fata.

He was presiding over a meeting held here at the FATA Secretariat on Monday to review the IDPs situation in South Waziristan and Kurram agencies.

The meeting was also attended by Senator Rashid from Kurram Agency, FDMA DG Arshad Khan, PDMADG Shakeel Qadir and representatives of all the UN agencies concerned.

He said the condition of IDPs, especially the children and women,at the camp are miserable, as they have been facing numerous problems.

The minister contended that the Fata IDPs were not getting food assistance after returning to their native areas. He expressed serious concern over non-transfer of Rs400,000 each into the account of few tribal families who were given cheques by the KP governor himself at a ceremony for construction of their houses.