Last week, Ambassador Holbrooke testified in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee [1] on the U.S.’ integrated strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Over a two-hour session, committee members asked a broad range of questions that ranged from military deployment to poppy eradication. Sadly, only one question focused on the ongoing displacement crisis in Pakistan, the largest and fastest population movement since the Rwandan genocide [2]. Ambassador Holbrooke was eager to address the “refugee” issue (he disdains the IDP moniker because he feels it dehumanizes the displaced families). In his trademark flamboyant style, he lauded the U.S. relief effort and called President Obama the country’s “Chief Refugee Officer.”
While it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, Holbrooke wanted to underscore the importance that this administration had placed on addressing the needs of the more than 2 million displaced Pakistanis. The U.S.’ response was slow at the beginning as we outlined in our January report [3], but it has deservedly earned praise for its substantial financial commitments to the assistance programs. Indeed, it has pledged more than $300 million in the past 8 weeks alone. The U.S. has been by far the largest contributor to the relief effort. There is little doubt that the Obama administration has understood the strategic importance of responding to the plight of displaced Pakistanis.
However, given the scale of the crisis, much more will need to be done over time. Nobody knows when the displaced will want to return home, but some families – mainly from the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan - have been in camps for almost a year. There is little indication that the more recent displaced from Swat and Buner districts can return. Yet, it’s clear that the government is eager to see people return home as soon as possible. The Pakistan Information Minister announced on June 30 that civilians may start returning next week to the Swat valley. [4] As we stressed in our most recent report [5], all returns should be voluntary and there should be independent verification of the safety and suitability of return areas.
The Obama administration must make it clear that the displaced have the right – as outlined in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement – to a safe and dignified return. It should stress this point repeatedly in bilateral meetings with its Pakistani counterparts, and make sure that no U.S. funding goes towards projects that would forcibly return families. This is likely to be a sensitive topic with Pakistani officials, but an unwavering commitment to the protection of civilians would go a long way towards earning Obama the title of Chief Refugee Officer.