Princess Haya of Jordan calls on donors to support UN relief efforts in Pakistan

Characterizing the ongoing crisis in north-west Pakistan as the largest humanitarian emergency in the world today, United Nations Messenger of Peace Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan has called for a massive international response to aid the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people forced to live in makeshift shelters.

In a televised message across the Middle East and elsewhere, Princess Haya urged the public to step up donations to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) operations, which provide support for over 2 million Pakistanis who have escaped the conflict between Government forces and militants in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

“Millions have been forced to leave, abandoning their homes, their communities and their loved ones,” said Princess Haya. “They arrive needing everything: shelter, food, and medical care.”

UNHCR said it is seeking to ease congestion by expanding camps, where the agency says around 10 per cent of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) have fled, and ramp up assistance to people taken in by families in local communities.

High Commissioner António Guterres has said that hundreds of millions of dollars will be needed for the overall relief effort as a shortage of resources is already reducing the amount of shelter and other aid items reaching IDPs, the agency said in a press release.

“Only with your help, can UNHCR revive hope, assist with shelter and meet other basic needs. Please help UNHCR,” said Princess Haya.

To date, only 36 per cent of the $533 million Humanitarian Response Plan, launched last month, has been funded, according to a news release issued by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Islamabad.

UN agencies in Pakistan pointed to the difficulties in gaining access to all IDPs requiring assistance in NWFP as a result of the scale of displacements and the unstable security situation in the region.

“Humanitarian agencies are working hard to assist all of those who are in need, but we have a long way to go,” said Humanitarian Coordinator Martin Mogwanja.

Mr. Mogwanja warned that the most vulnerable, including women, children, the disabled and elderly, are often the hardest to reach, and “we have to redouble our efforts where these groups are concerned.”