A Pakistani tribal family flee from South Waziristan due to military offensive, 01 Nov 2009The United Nations refugee agency says it is stepping up assistance tothousands of Pakistanis displaced by military operations against theTaliban in South Waziristan. The U.N. says it will soon distributetents to families staying with host communities in districts of theNorth West Frontier Province.

Fighting between the Pakistan army andTaliban militants in South Waziristan hit a peak in mid-October whenthe Pakistan army launched an air and ground offensive to dislodge theIslamic militants from their sanctuary.

Hundreds of thousands ofcivilians have fled the conflict zone. Some are in camps, but most arestaying with family and friends.

UNHCR Spokesman, AndrejMahecic, says the agency will distribute some 35,000 tents, worth $6million, to the displaced pending the final number of confirmedregistered families.

"The aid will allow the displaced people topitch tents in the grounds of households which are hosting them, andalleviate overcrowding," he said. "Tents are on their way from ourlocal stockpiles to Dera Ismail Khan, and distribution will begin inthe coming days."

"Since September, UNHCR has been distributing reliefitems such as kitchen sets, jerry cans, quilts, sleeping mats todisplaced people from South Waziristan. Some 24,000 families, that isabout 175,000 people, have been assisted so far," he added.

Mahecic saysUNHCR's relief effort has been interrupted on several occasions becauseof problems with security. But, he adds, distribution is continuingthrough local partners.

He says UNHCR is supporting theregistration of displaced people from South Waziristan. He says thisprocess is being carried out by the provincial Social WelfareDepartment, with help from local private aid agencies.

"Some350,000 people, comprising almost 48,000 families, have now beenregistered in Dera Israil Khan and Tank, though only 175,000 people or24,000 families have yet been verified by the National Database andRegistration Authority," said Mahecic. 

"The verification process isongoing but, at this stage, early indications suggest that about 17percent of families could be ineligible due to multiple registrations. A further 10 percent are not verified due to problems with theirnational ID cards, and another 2 percent are deemed not from the areasaffected by the military operations," he continued.

Mahecic says it isimportant that people, who are not verified, because they do not havetheir ID cards or do not come from an affected area, have theopportunity to seek redress. He says so-called grievance desks arebeing set up at the registration centers to make sure that genuinelydisplaced people do not fall through the cracks.