ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: The government clarified on Saturday that United Nations nutrition intervention for Balochistan was not meant for persons displaced by instability in the province, rather it was meant for the entire population of Jaffarabad, Naseerabad and Quetta districts.

The clarification stated that Dawn’s story did not give a true picture of the situation.

It further said the permission given to the UN was limited to the extent of nutritional support of the families in these districts and clearly there was no issue of displacement of population.

Dawn stands by its Friday’s story in which it was mentioned that the government had sought UN intervention to help avert a nutrition crisis among 84,000 persons displaced in Balochistan because of instability there.

Copies of official UN documents available with Dawn clearly state: “The UN has prepared humanitarian emergency relief intervention to come to the rescue of children and women, who have fled from instability in Dera Bugti and Kohlu districts of Balochistan.”

Based on UN fact-finding mission, these documents say some 84,000 people have been displaced, most of whom are women and children. Majority of these IDPs, the documents indicate, were in Naseerabad, Jaffarabad and Quetta districts.