UN: 1 Million Displaced in Northwest Pakistan

"The U.N. refugee agency says half a million people have fled fighting in northwestern Pakistan in the past few days, bringing the total displaced in recent months to 1 million.

A spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says the fighting has led to massive displacement in the area.

...Up to 200,000 people have arrived in safe areas in the past few days and that another 300,000 are on the move or are about to flee. ..." [Associated Press]

"Those fleeing the latest escalation of hostilities in Lower Dir, Buner and Swat districts join another 555,000 previously displaced Pakistanis who had fled their homes in the tribal areas and NWFP since August 2008 and who had already been registered by NWFP authorities and UNHCR. The vast majority of the earlier arrivals - more than 462,000 people - are staying in rental accommodation or with host families. Another 93,000 are staying in 11 camps supported by UNHCR, other UN humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organizations and the Red Cross and Red Crescent family. ..." [Reuters]

"Relief workers 'can no longer reach the areas most affected by the fighting on account of the volatile situation,' Benno Kocher of the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement yesterday. ..." [Bloomberg]

"...On Friday, Pakistan continued its assault on the area, sending fighter jets to bomb Taliban targets in and around Mingora, the main town in the Swat valley.

The Pakistani government is expected to begin a "major operation" within the next two days to take Mingora, Usher said.

While many residents have fled the city, tens of thousand remain. Some have said the Taliban are not allowing them to leave, perhaps because they want to use them as "human shields" and make the army unwilling to use force. ..." [CBC]