Camp being set up for Pakistani refugees

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Up to 600 families have migrated from Pakistan’s tribal region of North Waziristan to southeastern Khost province, the governor said on Thursday.

Abdul Jabbar Naeemi told reporters a camp was being set up on 2,000 acres of land for the refugees, who would be provided all essential facilities.

Most of the 600 families are from Miranshah, the agency headquarters where the Pakistan army recently launched a security operation.

A large number of the Pakistanis had settled in Gurbaz district, Naeemi said, adding local residents had shared their houses with the refugees.

“We decided at a meeting yesterday to deliver aid to the refugee families in accordance with government policy,” the governor said, seeking cooperation from the central government and the international community.

Blankets, tents, food and other relief items have been provided to around 100 families. Naeemi promised the refugee students would be granted admissions in schools and the Sheikh Zayed University.  

Public Health Director Dr. Hidayatullah Hamidi told Pajhwok Afghan News they had taken steps to prevent the spread of polio from Waziristan to Khost.

“We have administered anti-polio vaccine to 1,200 children coming from North Waziristan, where incidence of the crippling disease is pretty high,” he added.

One of the refugees, Ghazi Noor, said the Pakistan army had warned them against coming back to the region. He sought shelter and basic food and non-food aid from the Afghan government.

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