Monsoons threat to Swat Valley refugees

The British Red Cross is preparing to move 14,000 people in Pakistan to higher ground before torrential rains bring more misery to refugees from fighting in the Swat valley.

The organisation fears the coming monsoon season will present serious health and logistical problems.

As well as increasing the risk of disease in overcrowded communities, the threat of flooding means the Red Cross are preparing to move 70% of the 20,000 people at Shah Mansoor camp in Swabi to new locations.

Swabi camp manager Robert Przedpelski said: “The monsoon is the top priority for me at the moment. We don’t know exactly when the rains will come, but we are aiming to have everything in place within the next two weeks.

“We are looking at moving a large proportion of Swabi camp, roughly about 70% of the camp. That’s a huge operation. We’ve obtained some neighbouring land, which we are in the process of preparing at the moment.

“The ground has to be levelled, then we need to build latrines and wells; it’s a lot of work, but we’re working flat out and I have a very good water and sanitation team on the job. In the meantime we must continue with the everyday work of the camp.” The UN estimates around 2.5 million people, the equivalent to the population of Greater Manchester, have been forced to flee the Swat and Dir regions because of intense fighting between Pakistani security forces and Taliban militants.

British Red Cross health adviser for Eurasia, Gregory Rose, said: “Overcrowding in the affected communities is putting a huge strain on shared water and sanitation facilities. Add to that the threat of contamination from flooding and the resulting run-off into local water sources, and there will almost certainly be increases in childhood diarrhoea which, with no guarantees of health services, means children will die”.

The ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) and the Pakistani Red Crescent have been providing help including emergency shelter, medical aid, food and other provisions to both those displaced and those trapped by the fighting.

The British Red Cross has launched an urgent appeal to help people who have fled their homes and those still trapped by the fighting in Pakistan.

Taliban forces sparked violence nearly two months ago after they went against a peace deal and expanded operations into districts just 60 miles from the capital Islamabad.

They were expected to disarm in exchange for the implementation of Sharia law in the Malakand division, an area which includes the Swat valley.

Over two million people have so far been displaced as a result of the fighting and have been living in crowded conditions in camps on the borders of the North West Frontier Province.