Updated 28 July 2008
Parachinar is a tribal town and the capital of Kurram Agency, FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). Parachinar is located about 290 km west of Islamabad, and is the closest point in Pakistan to Kabul and borders on the Tora Bora Region in Afghanistan. This town of approximately 70,000 people is made up of a majority of Shia Muslims.
Since 2007, this area has witnessed a surge of violence claiming hundreds of lives and injuring hundreds more. Hundreds of homes and businesses have been torched in the violence that has been inflicted in the region.
Curfew is in force and the blockade of Thall-Parachinar road has severely affected supply of food, medicine, life-saving drugs and other items of daily use. Several patients have been dying because of shortages of surgical equipment and essential medicines. The only necessities reaching Parachinar are those that come from Afghanistan which come at a heavy, unaffordable price. Power and water supply has also been affected. The region has reached a famine-like situation, and the people of Parachinar are in desperate need of humanitarian relief.
People trying to bring wounded relatives to Peshawar are facing problems because the road linking Parachinar with Kohat has been blocked and the road has become unsafe for travelling.
The World Federation launched an appeal on 15 January 2008 in an effort to raise awareness of the crisis in this area and also to assist in raising funds to help provide much needed aid.
The 4,500 GBP raised from this appeal were spent on health, education, food, medicines and other necessary supplies. However, there is still a great need for additional aid, resources and relief.
Shan-E-Abbas Hassam, Assistant Secretary General of Relief & Economic Development stated: ‘We shall be placing soon on our website details of how the £4,500 helped the people of this impoverished area. In addition, as our community brothers and sisters struggle in Parachinar we have continued to keep this fund open, in order to raise more funds urgently to help them. Let us also pray to Allah (swt) to bring peace and calm to this district and to end the conflict
Due to the fact that there is still a great amount of unrest, and because accessing the area is also a big obstacle, rebuilding housing and education is not an option at this time. Even doctors are not being given access to the patients in need of care. However, we will need to work on these in the future.
In the interim, The World Federation is asking for funds to assist in providing food, medicine and basic necessities to our brothers and sisters in Parachinar. Currently, hospital care and food prices are very high and virtually unobtainable by people.
Our brothers and sisters need our help in Parachinar. Your donation will help provide people with the aid that they so desperately need at this time.
For a previous article, please click here
For more information, please email relief@world-federation.org
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