Violence feared at Jallozai Camp
Security officials prevent distribution of relief goods

Bureau Report

PESHAWAR: A delegation of Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) wanting to distribute relief goods among newly-arrived Afghan refugees wasn't allowed to do so at the Jallozai camp due to security reasons on Saturday.

Several female activist of RAWA, accompanied by reporters and photographers, had reached the camp's administration office along with pick-ups loaded with 500 quilts. But the camp's security incharge said he couldn't guarantee their protection in view of recent incidents of violence in the camp during distribution of relief goods.

Reporters who accompanied the RAWA delegation said the organization was in possession of official letters allowing them to visit the Jallozai. New Shamshatoo and Akora Khattak camps for new Afghan refugees. But the security officials at Jallozai expressed their unwillingness to arrange distribution of the RAWA relief goods due to fears of unruly behaviour by the refugees. The makeshift camp at Jallozai, according to estimates by UNHCR officials, in inhabited by over 80,000 refugees.

The RAWA team and the accompanying mediamen were, however, driven through the Jallozia camp by its security personnel. They weren't allowed to disembark the vehicles.

A few days ago distribution of relief goods by some organization in the Jallozia camp created problems for the security personnel as the refugees fought for assistance and soned the aid workers and the cops. After that, the security incharge of the camp has refused to allow distribution of relief items to avoid trouble. Organisers of several relief bodies have returned disappointed from the camp as the goods brought by them cannot be distributed.

One Ehsanullah, who had brought relief goods from Lakki Marwat two weeks ago, said they still haven't been distributed in the camp. He said he would now take these relief goods and hand them over to the Taliban for distribution among internally displaced persons in Afghanistan. Representatives of charity organizations from Punjab also said they were considering giving the relief goods brought by them to the Taliban or to Afghan refugees in New Shamshatoo camp.

Relief goods supply hindered by security measures

From Abdul Qadoos

PESHAWAR- The lack of security measures created hindrance in distribution of relief goods, gifted by the Revolutionary Association Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) a amongst the drought and war ravaged Afghan refugees camps in Jallozai camp here on Saturday.

The matter came into limelight when the relief aid brought by Revolutionary Association of Afghan Women (RAWA) in Jollzai Camp while another philanthropist Ihsanullah who had brought about 1135 blankets for the shelterless Afghan refugees were waiting for its distribution for last 28 days.

The RAWA brought 5oo quilts with the aim to distribute them but the Refugees Village Administrator (RVA) Allah Dad Khan refused to give them security to be distribute the material among the newly arrived Afghan refugees saying that could not provide security to them as refugees are violent.

He that United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and government of Pakistan have banned the distribution of relief till the new policy in this regard. He told that RAWA representative, Saima Karim that they could distribute their donated material among the refugees of other refugees camp like Shamshatoo and Akora Khattak.

Another philanthropist who hails from Lakki Marwat district of the NWFP Ihsanullah told the journalists that he had brought 1135 blankets but was not allowed to be distributed it for the last 28 days. He said that due to the security problem now he had decided to send it inside Afghanistan. "In this connection I had already met with the military attache of Afghan Embassy in Islamabad Molvi Abdul Qadeer to hand them over to Taliban for distribution inside the war ravaged Afghanistan," Ihsanullah informed.

On that occasion hundreds of refugees reached on the spot to get the relief but failed as the material was not distributed among them.

Talking to this scribe, a group the newly arrived refugees said that till the day nothing has been given to them in form of relief. They said that the newly established camps for Afghan refugees have been divided into 33 blocks and relief had been given to the residents of only 6 blocks while the remaining were still lying in open air in this chilly winter.

Another elder Afghan Hayatullah who has come from Baghlan province and was waiting for the distribution of relief complained that their families were confronted with hunger as they have no edible things to eat. He said that their family was in dire need of medicine, warm clothes, blankets, and quilts to protect them from winter.

He said that they had gave suggestions in connection with the distribution of relief that the relief should be distributed by number but no hailling has been paid to their demands. He appealed to the world community and specially to Muslims to help their Afghan brethren at this critical stage.

NGO stopped from helping Afghan DPs

Bureau Report

PESHAWAR, Feb 18: The Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan on Saturday urged the government to allow it to distribute relief goods at Jalozai, Shamshatu and Akora Khattak camps.

Marina Khan, a spokeswoman for the RAWA, said that the government had asked the world community to help Afghan refugees, but its own law enforcing agencies prevented the RAWA to help them.

She said that a RAWA team visited Jalozai on Saturday to distribute 500 blankets but the area commander stopped them.

"The commander said that the distribution of a small number of blankets would cause an unrest among the 75,000 refugees", she added

The Urdu and Pushto newspapers also published this news.