WITH the launch of a military operation in Kurram Agency, the country appears set to face a tragic yet predictable humanitarian crisis. No lessons, it seems, have been learned by the administration even after experiencing the aftermath of earlier military operations in the Malakand region and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata. Then, too, we saw the formal launch of hostilities being followed by people's exodus from the area. Thousands of families — euphemistically referred to as 'internally displaced people' — fled, only to find themselves in ill-equipped and overcrowded relief camps where they faced trouble not only in registering themselves and their families for aid but also in accessing essentials such as food and medicines. Many did not even find space in the camps and were left by an unprepared administration to chart their own course as best as they could. And now, within days of the launch of the military operation in Kurram, an estimated 6,000 families have already fled from the area, according to the Fata Disaster Management Authority. More are sure to follow. But the FDMA does not have enough food, tents and other material to meet the IDPs' needs and is awaiting relief assistance from the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has directed the Hangu district authorities to start the registration of displaced families. That hardly goes far enough, though, towards addressing the needs of the people who have been forced to leave their homes. Given the thousands of families displaced earlier by the conflict in other parts of the region, this is neither a new nor an unprecedented situation. Why was the administration not better prepared? Surely, it would be logical to expect that, with a military operation in the offing, there would be better coordination among the various arms of the state to ensure that the people fleeing from the affected areas receive help. Looking towards the international assistance sector is all very well — and indeed, Médicins Sans Frontières has started relief activities while UN representatives have also made assessment visits to the area — but Pakistan itself needs to do much more.