(MENAFN- Afghanistan Times) AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: Thousands of the war-affected families from the North and South Waziristan tribal areas sheltered as refugees in southeastern Paktika province demanded assistance from the Afghan government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organizations.
Abdul Hakim, on behalf of the refugees, told Pajhwok Afghan News that thousands of innocent families had been displaced to Afghanistan as a result of the so-called Pakistan's military operations in the areas.
Hakim added that the displaced families were given aids by arriving in Paktika but then the government and other relevant organizations and United Nations bodies turned blind eyes.
The displaced people have been settled in Barmal, Gomal, Sarobi, Sharana and some other areas of the province.
He said the affected families urgently needed food items, healthcare services, monthly financial packages and warm dresses and blankets to minimize their miseries during the winter.
Abdullah Khan, another displaced person, said their problems increased in the winter.
'Our children have fallen ill due to harsh weather; we have no food. That's why we need urgent assistance.'
Some other refugees expressed similar views and called on the Afghan government and world humanitarian organizations to meet their needs as soon as possible to save human lives.
Moreover, Abdul Haq Faqiri, a member of the National Youth Council, urged the government to assist the displaced families whose conditions were deteriorating and their children were ill.
Mohammad Rahman Iyaz, provincial government spokesman, said about 8,000 families had taken refuge from Waziristan to Paktika during the recent years.
He informed the provincial Refugees and Repatriation Department and the Natural Disaster Management Authority were ready to assist the refugee families in winter and they would receive assistance regularly under a new plan.
Separately, a large number of Waziristan's affected families have been sheltered in various parts of Khost province. According to reports, the affected families in Khost province are also facing the same problems and want the government, UNHCR, Save the Children and other organizations to provide them with urgent assistance to keep lodge of human valves.
Thousands of families have taken refuge as a result of the Pakistan's military operations in the North and South Waziristan, where all the groups of Taliban, including the notorious Haqqani network was given safe and honorable passage. According to the locals of Waziristan, Pakistan is thoroughly making good will gestures instead of abandoning its project of terrorism. The ongoing military operations in various parts of FATA have been face-saving attempts by the Pakistan to deceive the international community. In May and September of the current year, more than 500 elders and youth from FATA gathered in Jalalabad and Kabul where they unanimously, calling on Pakistan to vacate the FATA region. The participants of the gatherings urged the international community to install United Nations-led administration in FATA to decide its fate and to win war on terror. The speakers said residents of FATA were never religious extremists and terrorists by nature and history, adding that terrorism and the ongoing man-made religious extremism have been imposed on them by the state of Pakistan in order to destabilize Afghanistan and undermining the US-led war on terror.
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