This report was issued by OCHA Headquarters in New York with a coverage period from 8 to 16 July 2009. The next report will be issued on or around 24 July 2009.
I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES
- As of 15 July, over 20,000 IDPs have returned to Swat and Buner districts as part of a voluntary returns process announced and organised by the Government.
- In the absence of proper mechanisms to determine the voluntary nature of return, UNHCR will, together with the International Rescue Committee, monitor returns and re-deploy UNHCR staff to IDP camps.
- The monsoon rains begin this week, according to the meteorological agency in Pakistan. Relevant clusters continue contingency planning.
- A UNHCR staff member was shot and killed in Kacha Garhi IDP Camp outside Peshawar.
II. Situation Overview
Returns - On 9 July, the Government of Pakistan officially announced the start, by 13 July, of an organized voluntary returns process for internally displaced people (IDPs). IDPs from camps, government buildings and in host communities are planned to return to Swat and Buner Districts in eleven phases over 19 days. The Government of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the humanitarian community have agreed on a Returns Policy document which provides the framework for voluntary, informed and dignified, safe and sustainable returns of IDPs. For each day's operation, specific points of departure have been identified and IDPs have been informed in the camps. At each point of departure the IDPs are being provided with the necessary documentation, drinking water, a free medical check and other relevant services related to their return. The District Government will be responsible for the registration of the returning IDPs and maintenance of relevant records. As of 15 July, the Provincial Government's Emergency Response Unit (ERU) reported that 2,885 families or 20,195 individuals have returned to Swat and Buner Districts.
Registration – As of 15 July 2009, according to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) the number of verified IDP registrant stands at 289,251 families or 2.024 million persons. Both the notification and the registration processes are being analysed and monitored to ensure that those with legitimate claims to IDP status are not excluded. ERU in Peshawar has indicated that new NADRA registration lists will be available in the next "two or three days".
Monsoon – According to Pakistan's Meteorological Department, the 2009 monsoon season is set to begin this week. The rains, which are expected to impact both the northern and southern parts of the country, usually continue until 15 September.
