PESHAWAR: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has released Rs180 million to assist 15,000 families in North Waziristan tribal district who were affected during the military operation Zarb-i-Azb, its spokesperson said.

In a statement, the spokesperson said that the amount was released on Thursday for onward distribution among the affected families through short messaging service.

He said that the families who did not return to their native areas in North Waziristan would receive the cash grant.

He said that distribution of the funds among the affected families would be completed within three days.

He said that the number of verified displaced families was around 15,000.

The spokesperson said that PDMA was regularly providing on monthly basis food rations and other essential items to families who had yet to return to their homes.

Over one million families had shifted to settled areas of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when security forces launched the operation Zarb-i-Azb against militants in North Waziristan in June 2014.

More than 90 per cent families had been repatriated to their homes. The displaced families from North Waziristan have been settled in Bakkakhel camp near Bannu. Many families of North Waziristan are still residing in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2020