July 12-14, 2009 [email protected]
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Buner District – NWFP, Pakistan Global Peace Pioneers – NGO® House # 351, Street # 15 G – 10/2, Islamabad, Pakistan. Ph # +0092 51-2290086 Global Peace Pioneers- GPP +0092 51-5875861 July 12-14, 2009 [email protected] www.globalpeace.net.pk - 1 - CONTENTS Page # Summary 03 Methodology 04 Background 04 Highway to Buner 06 The highways 06 The towns 07 Buner after military operation 07 Civic society and infrastructure 09 Health 09 Recommendations 09 Education 10 Recommendations 10 Infrastructure and economy 11 Modern amenities 11 Highways infrastructure 11 Agriculture 12 Domestic animals 12 Profession of the inhabitants 12 Conclusion 13 Photographs 14 - 2 - SUMMARY Global Peace Pioneers (GPP) has recently sent out its professional team to carry out a rapid assessment of Buner District of North West Frontier Province in order to assess the situation of the District after two months of disturbing operation. The GPP team went to Buner to assess current conditions and to assess the returnee process. Different tools were used to gather the information that includes Focus group discussions, open-ended interviews, and semi-structured interviews. Structured observations were also made to document the state of communication, health, education, Food and NFIs and property. Based on findings from focus group discussions and Findings of the Assessment : open-ended interviews, 1. IDPs who are returning to Buner are doing so primarily to assess their people within Buner property and crops and most of them are not yet planning to shift due to consider that development lack of resources. efforts will be slow and that 2. Tahsils, UCs and roads in Buner were largely destructed and traffic was peace and stability will not visible as people were returning to homes. come in a short span of 3. In Dagar, the hospital has remained functional throughout the operation but limited electricity, ongoing security concerns and looting as well as time. In order to ensure that the emigration of hospital staff have made providing quality healthcare the needs in Buner are difficult. effectively met, GPP 4. Due to limited staff and shortage of medicines the most of rural health recommends immediate and facilities remain closed. sustainable interventions in 5. Medicines and other medical supplies are low all over the district and health, education, water and will be inadequate as more inhabitants return. 6. A majority of the schools in the region have been partially damaged or sanitation, Infrastructure completely destroyed. Remaining schools were mainly either closed or and livelihoods. This empty. includes: ensuring that 7. Water pipelines all over the district have been destroyed, resulting in healthcare facilities are individuals being forced to drink from unhygienic streams. Water borne illnesses, including diarrhea and minor skin diseases, have become equipped with supplies and common. staff, rehabilitating water 8. Much of the district’s basis communications, including electrical lines, supply pipelines and tube phone lines and roads, were destroyed. In the more powerful areas well and sanitation systems, repairs are in progress, however, in the hills and rural area reconstruction rebuilding of hospitals and is critically needed. 9. schools, repairing of In Buner, inhabitants were mainly dependant on agriculture; when forced to leave their homes due to the military operation They missed the mosques and renewing opportunity to harvest crops and plant for this season and the next. self-sufficiency of families in 10. Food items and NFIs is more concern as more IDPs return to their homes. - 3 - order to provide necessary income to rebuild their livelihoods. These efforts will restore the diminished self-confidence of the communities within Buner. BACKGROUND The Buner Valley is situated in NWFP. It is a small mountain valley, dotted with villages and divided into seven sub-divisions. The Mora Hills and the Ilam range divide it from the Swat Valley, the Sinawar range from Yusafzai, the Guru Mountains from the Chamla valley, and the Duma range from the Puran Valley. Until the year 2000 it was a part of Malakand Division - until this division was abolished. District Buner is composed of 27 union councils. Below given table shows the tahsils, UCs and area wise population: Sr # Tahsil Union Council Population Tootali 20,195 1. Khado Khel Ghorghushtar 17,692 Sarwaiye 16,350 Changlai 15,960 Nawagai 20,755 2. Chamla Amazai Koga, 24,481 Maharani 17,991 Amazi 24,112 Dewana Baba 16895 3. Gagra Gagra 22137 Shalbandai 13355 Norrazai 15520 Raiga 17492 Ealay 24317 4. Dagar Toor Warsak 18730 Karapa 15650 Dagar 21963 Gokandh 14402 Packa kalay 17813 5. Gadazai (Pir Baba) Mali khel 19810 Ab khel 24770 Malak por 18904 Gadazai 20761 Gul Bandai 1987 6. Chagharzai Soraiy 2000 Batara 1800 Pandair 2500 TOTAL POPULATION 448,342 - 4 - In April 2009, the Taliban took control of Buner, after a short battle with local residents, who were unsupported by the Pakistani army. Self-styled Sharia rules were imposed, including the elimination of video stores, ban on shaving, and the prevention of women from appearing in public places. A brief two months of calm period in Malakand division due to the peace deal between NWFP government and Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM), was disrupted when the Taliban entered into Buner and concentrated in the district. This resulted in launching of the Government military operation in Buner. The Taliban were in control of Sultanwas, Gokand Dara, Pir Baba, Pacha Kallay, Ambella Pass, Koga and Chinglai (the areas of Buner). Militants were using routes of Sangar and Karakar Pass for transportation and supply of arsenals from Swat. Till date (April 28, 2009) the Pakistani Army has launched operation in UC Norizai (Village Dehrai, China, Bar Kalay and Babji Kandaw) UC Gagra (Village Kalpanai, Dewana Baba and Bajkata), UC Elai (Village details are not available), UC Dagar (main bazaar area), UC Koga (Ambila Pass and adjoining areas). The worst affected areas include Nawagia, Dewana Baba, Gagra, Shalbandi, Ealay, Toor Warsak, Dagar, Gokandh, Paka Kalay, Mali Khel, Malak Pur, Gadazai (Pir baba), Gul bandi, sultanvas and Batara. Regardless of assurances from the government, the local populace and officials contest that insecurity continues to be a major concern. Local elders were of the opinion that the social relationships have been destroyed due to the conflict and they have uncertainty that Buner society will return to the pre-conflict state. METHODOLOGY Global Peace Pioneers (GPP) sent a four member’s team to Buner District of North West Frontier Province on July 12 to 14, 2009 to assess the current situation of infrastructure, services and to assess the process of returnees within Buner as well as provide urgently needed services. Rapid assessment tools were used to collect data including: focus groups discussions (FGDs) in three key locations (Sultanwas, Pir baba and Dagar), key informant interviews with officials, and - 5 - open-ended interviews with community leaders, Nazims, and other government functionaries also took place. The team went through Mardan, starting at Rustam Village in Mardan and entered Buner through Ambela and went into Babaji Kandao and onward to Swarai. From Suwari our team continued to Daggar, and ended at Shalbandi Village. HIGHWAY TO BUNER The following are observations made by GPP’s team while travelling from Rustam (Mardan) to Daggar via Surkhabai mountain range and then on Ambela Pass via a 40 KM road that connects Ambela (Buner) to Rustam (Mardan). The assessment team passed through Rustam and entered Buner through Ambela and visited the towns of Babaji Kandao, Swarai, Daggar and Shalbandi. During the assessment, the team observed detailed security checks for everyone at established check posts. The team also experienced thorough searches. The highways • During the assessment, the team noticed the flow of traffic as people are returning to Buner. • Bodies of dead animals and destroyed vehicles lay alongside the road leading from Ambela to Daggar. • Security forces have taken positions on the tops of the mountains and are monitoring the flow of vehicles on the highway. • It is generally known among the inhabitants that land mines placed by militants made travel to certain areas (Pir Baba, Batai, upper areas of Gokand Valley and mountainous region of Juwar town) unadvisable. The Towns • Sultanwas faced most destruction due to the operation. The team interviewed those displaced from Sultanwas living in Daggar. The interviewees expressed that most of the Infustructure including houses, health care facilities, schools and government building were damaged or destroyed due to the heavy fighting that took place in this area. • Pir baba and Toor Versak were also among the town worst hit by military shelling. Most homes and some shops were destroyed. - 6 - • Dagar town showed marked improvement during the assessment with open shops. But private Banks and restaurants remained closed. • Shalbandi faced the brunt of militant attacks in recent months, resulting in the death of 44 people in December 2008. Surprisingly, the populace appears to be proceeding with life as normal. The shops in Shalbandi were open and people gathered in the village. BUNER AFTER MILITARY OPERATION After more than two months operation, the populace of Swat, Buner and other areas experienced a bit of relief and happiness when Prime Minister of Pakistan announced the IDPs return plan. IDPs return arrangement is divided into the three phases: In 1st Phase those IDPs living in Camps In 2nd phase living in schools and In 3rd Phase those IDPs who are living with hosts and at their own level. Around 47000 families will return from Swabi only. About 90% destruction is reported in Sultanwas, Pir baba and Toor Versak during the survey. Almost 100% populace of these villages fled to safe places as the military operation was launched. The schools, mosques, crops and communication system were completely destroyed. Now the displaced inhabitants of these areas are coming back and find nothing except debris of what once used to be their erected houses.