Save The Children have estimated that in total, 600,000 people will be displaced from the Tirah Valley in northern Pakistan, following violent conflicts between militant groups; half of these IDPs (internally displaced people) are believed to be children.
Why are people fleeing the area? - from January 2012, increased military offence on organised armed groups in the FATA (federally administered tribal areas) region of north-Pakistan has led to increased conflict between tribal groups, putting hundreds of thousands of lives ,including those of women and children at risk.
After fleeing their home, IDPs will arrive in severely cramped aid camps or host communities, where there is little access to food, healthcare, clean water (69% of IDPs from this region are living without clean water) and sanitation.
Moreover, many of these displaced people are suffering psychological traumas after witnessing extremely disturbing violence and war crime. It is implausible for many of us to imagine how it feels to be a small child, suddenly uprooted from home amidst obscene violence, fleeing to somewhere of complete uncertainty and inevitable lacking of everything a child should have the right to. But that is the story for many children in this region, around 300,000 in fact.
find out more about this crisis:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/524812/unhcr-unilaterally-postpones-facilitation-to-tirah-idps/ - a news article detailing the military conflict in the area.
http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/areas-of-concern/conflict-pakistan-displaced-people.aspx - a Christian Aid fact page, there is a link on the page which allows you to donate to this and other similar crisis.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/08-Jun-2012/military-operation-in-pakistan-may-displace-600-000-people-aid-agency - a Pakistani newspaper article covering the crisis.
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