Over 112,000 flee Pak offensive, says UN
More than 112,000 people have fled South Waziristan, the lawless area on the Afghan border where Pakistan has launched a major offensive against the Taliban, a UN official said yesterday.
"Almost 4,477 families, or 32,000 individuals, got themselves registered since October 13 as against 11,000 families, or 80,500 people, who fled South Waziristan since May," UN refugee agency spokeswoman Ariane Rummery told AFP.
The latest migration "brings the total number of displaced people to more than 112,000," she added.
Rummery said the displaced were registered at different distribution points at the northwestern towns Tank and Dera Ismail Khan.
Pakistan Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said Monday that the government was monitoring the displaced at checkpoints set up on exit and entry points of South Waziristan.
"We will soon start distributing food and non-food items for one month to newly displaced people as soon as we have the lists," Kaira said.
He added that cash assistance of 5,000 rupees (60 dollars) would also be given to each displaced family every month as non-food support.
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