Displacement from Waziristan
On October 17th, 2009 the Pakistan Army also launched a military operation in South Waziristan. Communication lines in the conflict area have been cut off since that time. Thousands of inhabitants of the conflict-affected areas continue to flee to neighboring districts including Dera Ismail Khan and Tank in the southern area of North West Frontier Province and are taking refuge in with friends and family in local communities. The UN reports that 100,000 new internally displaced people (IDPs) have reached Dera Ismail Khan and Tank. More than 80,000 people had already been taking refuge in these areas since May, displaced by smaller outbreaks of conflict, including from North Waziristan.


GRACE response
Members of GRACE report that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Waziristan can only sustain themselves for a short time with very limited provisions that they have been able to carry with them so that basic relief assistance is required. The meeting of minimum water, sanitation and hygiene requirements is a major problem putting people's health at risk. With the winter season setting in, shelter and heating will also become an increasing concern.
GRACE members in the IDPs camp areas looking to help them by their own resources, however any support from relief the security situations and appropriate security measures are being taken with staff and partners. GRACE has good expertise in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector and have extensive experience working for IDPs conflict-affected areas. Dependent on external support, GRACE has the potential to mobilized hygiene kits, basic family non-food item kits and blankets for 5,000 families. In addition, GRACE hopes to provide safe drinking water to hundreds of IDPs through communal hand pumps, along with sanitation support through latrines, bathing places and washing points.