Food aid relieves burden in Pakistan’s conflict-torn northwest

Initiated in June following a massive displacement of people as a result of conflict between the Pakistani military and Taliban militants, the project will provide 24,983 households in Mardan district with wheat, pulses, vegetable oil, salt, sugar and tea until the end of the year.

At a time when the price of staples like wheat is at an all time high as a result of the global food crisis, the food distributions are a welcome relief to both IDPs and the families that are struggling to support them.

The situation for many IDPs is now much worse because an unknown number has lost seasonal crops due to the conflict Even before the conflict, the NWFP was characterised as ‘food insecure’ due to lack of employment and livelihood opportunities, and because of high insecurity. The situation for many IDPs is now much worse because an unknown number has lost seasonal crops due to the conflict.

World Vision staff are distributing the monthly food rations from humanitarian hubs in host villages, taking into account the cultural norms and values that underpin the way Pakistani people relate to one another and carry out their everyday tasks. A separate distribution point has been established for women, for example, in an effort to protect their privacy and need to stay separated from males outside of the family.

Simple measures like providing distribution cards with dates for distribution means only those people assigned to a particular distribution date come to collect their food ration. “In this manner we changed the trend of open distribution in which thousands of people use to rush on the same day out of which many thousands used to go back empty handed”, explained Touqeer Ahmed, World Vision Pakistan Commodity Officer.

Dolat Bibi, a 56-year-old widow is now caring for five grandchildren after fleeing from Swat. “I saw a large swarm of people like locusts outside distribution points when I was passing by Swabi city... I decided to procure ahead in the distribution when my time would come. It was my luck, I may say that my distribution point happened to be in the hands of World Vision and they really gave me my rations in grace and respect”, she said.

A separate distribution point has been established for women in an effort to protect their privacy and need to stay separated from males outside of the family “I never expected that the distribution could be so comfortable and easy to access. Now I can even take my children along with me as they are bored due to sitting all the time inside the house”, said Safijan, residing near Shahbaz Garih.

For some IDPs, returning home is still not an option. But as increasing numbers of IDPs begin to make the return journey home, World Vision and other humanitarian agencies are assessing whether food provisions also need to be made available to returnees in their places of origin, as well as other activities focused on the wellbeing of children and recovery of livelihoods.

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