Washington, DC - Secretary of State
Clinton's announcement providing $110 million in emergency relief for displaced
Pakistanis is a positive first step, Refugees International said today. Yet, the
organization expressed concern that the funding was insufficient compared to the
scale of the crisis. According to the United Nations, 2 million people have
already been displaced since last August, 1.4 million of whom have been
registered since May 2nd.
"This $110 million in emergency assistance is
a very positive step, and will help aid agencies to respond quickly to the needs
of displaced families should the money be made immediately available," said
Patrick Duplat, advocate for Refugees International. "However, this only amounts
to a mere $55 per displaced person and these people will remain displaced for
many months. To stabilize the country, the U.S. must provide many more resources
to support two million displaced Pakistanis and protect them from further
harm."
The massive numbers of Pakistanis fleeing their homes is the
largest movement of people in Pakistan since partition from India sixty years
ago. Some people are fleeing to makeshift and overcrowded camps, but many are
dependent on the hospitality of family and friends and living in overburdened
households. Aid agencies are struggling to keep up with the massive needs. In
response, the UN has recently launched a $500 million consolidated appeal. By
contrast, U.S. military assistance to the Pakistani government is expected to
total $3 billion in the next five years.
"The Obama administration must
be front and center in pushing for civilians to be protected, and should insist
that the Government of Pakistan take every precaution to avoid and minimize
civilian casualties and displacement," continued Duplat. "The U.S. has a stake
in this conflict, and it must understand that effective humanitarian aid is not
just a moral imperative, but a strategic one as well. How many more people need
to be displaced before civilian protection becomes a priority?"
Refugees
International is a Washington, DC-based organization that advocates to end
refugee crises. Advocates Patrick Duplat and Kristele Younes will be returning
to Pakistan and Afghanistan in June to assess the needs of displaced people in
both countries. Read their most recent field report, "Afghanistan and Pakistan:
Raise Voices for Civilian Protection" at
http://refugeesinternational.org/policy/field-report/afghanistan-and-pakistan-raise-voices-civilian-protection.