Washington, D.C. – The Obama Administration must respond forcefully to large scale displacement caused by recent fighting in Pakistan, Refugees International urged today. While the President’s public statements expressing concern about civilian casualties in the region are welcome, the organization called for effective humanitarian assistance to internally displaced Pakistanis. Since last summer, more than 550,000 civilians have been forced to flee their homes and several hundred thousand more are expected to be displaced as conflict intensifies in the Swat district in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The latest upsurge in violence could put the total figure above a million.

“The conflict between the Pakistani army and pro-Taliban militants has disproportionately harmed innocent people,” said Kristele Younes, senior advocate for Refugees International. “We are pleased that President Obama and Secretary Clinton have expressed their concerns over civilian casualties in the region, but these words need to be backed by action. Displaced Pakistanis require humanitarian aid, and large-scale infrastructure projects will not address their immediate needs. Dedicated staff to monitor displacement and the protection of civilians is also vital.”

The humanitarian consequences of the recent conflict have been severe. Aid agencies are struggling to respond to the displacement because of the insecurity in the region and the scale of the crisis. Humanitarian funding is disproportionately low compared to total U.S. assistance. In the last 8 months, total U.S. non-food assistance for conflict-affected populations in Pakistan was a mere $37 million, a tiny portion of the military assistance set to total $3 billion over the next five years.

“The Obama administration must make the protection of civilians a top policy priority. Simply providing more U.S. support for the Pakistani military will not stabilize the country,” said Patrick Duplat, advocate for Refugees International. “As public support for the government of Pakistan decreases, effective humanitarian aid would be a welcome acknowledgement of the struggles faced by Pakistanis uprooted by the fighting.”

Refugees International is a Washington, DC-based organization that advocates to end refugee crises. Read their most recent field report, “Afghanistan and Pakistan: Raise Voices for Civilian Protection” at http://refugeesinternational.org/policy/field-report/afghanistan-and-pakistan-raise-voices-civilian-protection.