Audio description: Aid workers at non-profit Refugees International look to produce change for displaced people in Pakistan.
Nearly 2.4 million civilians have been displaced by violence in Pakistan in the last year (Photo courtesy of Refugees International)
WASHINGTON — Nearly 2.4 million civilians have been displaced by violence in Pakistan in the last year, according to UN estimates. This humanitarian crisis is being called the worst in Pakistan’s existence by researchers at the non-profit Refugees International.
The organization recently released a field report highlighting what it believes to be failures of current American and international policies. The report aims to educate politicians and citizens alike about the issues most vital to improving the lives of vulnerable Pakistanis.
Patrick Duplat, co-author of Pakistan: Protect the People First, says American politicians and citizens still have a number of things to learn about the situation.
“[The displaced] are innocent victims of a conflict that is in part encouraged by the international community and the U.S.,” Duplat said, adding that a greater understanding of the situation “would help the American people to feel a certain amount of responsibility for what is happening there and help policy makers to realize that this is not just a question of security, it’s a question of making sure that people are protected.”
Staff at Refugees International point to the Non-Military Aid to Pakistan bill recently signed by President Barack Obama as an opportunity to help the displaced population. Duplat believes the bill, offering $1.5 billion to Pakistan each year for the next five years could be used as political leverage to eradicate inequalities in aid distribution.