When she was young Braikhna* used to spend her summers picnicking with her family in the lush green fields of the Swat Valley and swimming with her brothers and sisters in the pond near their home.
‘Swat is known as the Switzerland of Pakistan because it is so beautiful,’ Braikhna said. ‘I used to have such happy memories.’
But all that changed a few weeks ago when the 26-year-old, received a phone call from her mother in Peshawar, North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
‘The whole family was weeping,’ Braikhna said. ‘My relatives who live further north, in the heart of the conflict zone, were at our house. It had taken them two days to make the dangerous journey through the mountains on foot, by bike and by car.
‘Their friends were killed. They knew that they had to leave or they would be killed too. They were really distressed, the children were crying. They were lucky to escape alive.’
Now 50 relatives are living in Braikhna’s home, and 150 of her extended family are renting houses nearby - but they can only afford to stay there a few more weeks before their money runs out. After that they don’t know what they’ll do.
While the Pakistan government has set up around 25 camps, more than 80% of displaced people are living with host families and are forced to rely on what little money they have left, and handouts, according to Save the Children.
In some places there are 70 people living in one house, and up to 500 people sharing just two toilets. People have sought refuge wherever they can, and some have no option but to sleep in sheds with cattle.
Living in such cramped, unhygienic conditions, it is little wonder that disease is rife.
Most of the children Save the Children doctors have treated have either diarrhoea, dysentery, respiratory infections, or scabies and they fear they will soon start to see cases of typhoid, cholera, measles and tuberculosis – all of which can be fatal in children if left untreated.
What’s more, children are suffering emotionally and psychologically.
‘The children are upset and scared; they cling to their mothers and cry constantly or repeatedly ask to go home,’ Braikhna said.
‘They don’t understand what’s happening. All they know is that they have had to run for their lives and are now living in squalor with strangers.’
The young office worker added, ‘When it is safe to go back to their village, my relatives know they will have to start again. It will be a long time before they are able to get back to normal.
‘[But] the Pakistani people are strong,’ she said. ‘We will get through this.’
Save the Children is delivering vital aid to tens of thousands of families living in northern Pakistan and has launched a £6.5 million fundraising appeal for people affected by the conflict. To make a donation call freephone 0800 8 148148.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PAKISTANI CONFLICT AND HOW YOU CAN HELP CLICK HERE
*Name has been changed for security reasons.
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Save the Children's report from Pakistan
By Anna Ford in Islamabad - Thursday 28 May 2009
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