PARACHINAR: Authorities closed New Durrani Camp in Kurram Agency on Friday after 10,000 internally displaced families residing there for the last five years were sent back to their homes.

Officials said the displaced families were repatriated to their native areas in central tehsil of Kurram Agency. The camp was established some 30 kilometers east of Parachinar in 2010 where around 54,000 IDPs were accommodated.

These families vacated their homes when security forces launched operation against militants in central tehsil of Kurram. Security forces had cleared the area and the Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) had de-notified it as conflict zone.

FDMA coordinator Mujahid Ali told media persons that New Durrani Camp was declared abandoned after all IDPs were repatriated to their homes. He said that return process of IDPs, who were living outside the camp in Kurram Agency, would be completed till May 9.

A senior official in Peshawar termed closure of the New Durrani Camp a major achievement and said that return programme of IDPs from other areas was also in progress.

FDMA has started repatriation of IDPs to South Waziristan, Khyber, North Waziristan, Orakzai and Kurram agencies. Under a plan, return of more than 150,000 displaced families to their homes would be completed by the end of November.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016