SHELTER:
Thousands of families remain displaced from Tirah Valley in Khyber district as the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government oversees their relocation amid deteriorating security and heavy snowfall.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the evacuation began on January 10. So far, 11,400 families have been registered, with more than 10,000 relocated to safer areas, including Bara and Peshawar.
On Wednesday alone, 1,719 families were registered at five centers in Bara. Each family gets Rs22,000 to Rs44,000 for transport along with a monthly housing allowance of Rs50,000.
Heavy snowfall three days ago trapped hundreds of families in trucks, triggering large-scale rescue operations. Authorities said at least 2,200 people have been rescued so far.
Mohammad Khan, a resident of Maidan in Tirah, said he moved to Peshawar after receiving aid. “I have received a token and Rs 22,000 for transport. I am moving to Zang Gully in Peshawar. The security situation was bad because of Taliban and we came here for peace. Our demand is a good package and assistance to the people,” he told The Express Pakinomist.
Another displaced resident said: “We have moved because of the worsening security situation and are now in Bara.”
Kamal-ud-Din, head of a 24-member negotiating committee from Tirah, told a private news channel that the provincial government had accepted 31 demands made by the residents. He said the move would be completed by the end of January, with each family receiving Rs250,000 in advance and a monthly stipend of Rs50,000.
He added that families whose homes were destroyed during the operation would receive Rs3 million in compensation, while those with partially damaged houses would be given Rs1 million. He said the military operation was expected to end within two months, after which residents would be allowed to return.
