Over 50 per cent of the total 3 lakh residents of Mingora, the main city in Pakistan's restive Swat valley, have left their homes due to heavy fighting between the Army and Taliban in the region.The people are using whatever transport they could find trucks, buses, motorcycles, donkey carts and even bicycles to flee to safety in other parts of the North West Frontier Province, Provincial Environment Minister Wajid Ali Khan said.
The civilian exodus from the former tourist valley of Swat, has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis as at least 3 lakh 60 thousand people have already left their homes in recent days and in all about five lakh more are expected to flee to join about 60 lakh people displaced earlier from Swat since August last year.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani assured parliament on Monday that the government has evolved a strategy for the internally displaced persons.
The exodus of people from Buner, Dir and Swat districts, where troops are conducting operations against the Taliban is increasing, Khan said.
Despite the operation by security forces backed by artillery, tanks and gunship helicopters, most of Mingora continues to be controlled by the Taliban.
US ready to provide humanitarian aid to Pak refugees
The United States has said that it is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to the large number of refugees who have fled the Swat valley as a result of Pakistan Army's operation against the militants there.
"At this point we are assessing what the needs are and we are assessing where our aid can fit in and be of use," the State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly, told reporters in response to a question.
"We support, of course, the operation in the Swat Valley and we will stand ready to help with any kind of humanitarian situation that might evolve out of it," he said.
It is understood that the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at her daily morning meeting with her State Department officials expressed concern over the humanitarian condition, which has primarily resulted out due to the US-pressurized military operation in the Swat Valley, which was recently taken over by the Taliban.
Clinton is believed to have said the US should be ready to provide all kind of humanitarian assistance to the people who have been displaced because of this military action against the terrorists.
"Well, whatever we do will be in close consultation with President Zardari and his government," Kelly said.
