New displacement from fighting in Pakistan leads to boosted UN humanitarian appeal

The United Nations today announced an appeal for more humanitarian funding for Pakistan, projecting that fighting between the Government and militant groups in north-western border areas will escalate throughout 2009, causing new displacements of up to 625,000 people.

A total of $127 million will be required to assist newly displaced persons from in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and in the Swat District of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), the UN Officer for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

With $29 million in funding available from original appeal for the Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan, this leaves an unmet requirement for 2009 of $98 million, the Office explained.

The Response Plan was launched as a $55 million flash appeal in September 2008 for the duration of six month, after unusually heavy monsoon rains and flash floods affected over 300,000 people, most of whose immediate needs have by now been met.