There is possibility I may also get the chance of shaking the hand with Richard Holbrooke, Obama's special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan during his visit to the camps established for the internally displaced persons. According to the UN figure, some 2.4 million people have been forced to leave their homes as Pakistan army has been conducting a big operation against the terrorists.
Now I am working in the Emergency Response Unit estalished by the government of NWFP for providing relief to the IDPs. There is possibility that the US envoy may also visit the ERU office and may ask that there is a person, who is the fan of Obama. I do not know this will happen or not, but I am a optimist. This world is the place of strange events. This may also happen. I am hopeful that the time will come that "someone" will take interest in me. But at the moment I am in a state of depression as my wife Fatima is feeling pain in heart. I think she may have some heart problem.
US President Barack Obama is sending a team of officials led by Richard Holbrooke, his special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, to
visit refugee camps housing lakhs of people displaced as a result of the military offensive in Swat and adjoining areas of NWFP.
Leading a team of officials from various wings of the Obama administration, including the State Department and the Pentagon, Holbrooke is expected to have a first hand assessment of the situation and then recommend how best the US can accelerate relief measures, informed sources said.
As of now there is no plan for Holbrooke to either visit Kabul or New Delhi, but things could change as the tour progresses, diplomatic sources said.
Given that the military action has been carried out at the US' instance despite initial resistance by Pakistan, the Obama administration considers itself duty bound to mobilise international support to speed up relief process for the nearly three million displaced, officials said.
The UN has appealed for $543 million to help those uprooted by the fighting between government forces and militants in the North West Frontier Province since May 2.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) about ten per cent of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are living in camps and the rest are staying with friends or in communal buildings, such as schools.
Source: thetimesofindia.com
Muhammad Khurshid, a resident of Bajaur District, tribal areas situated on Pak-Afghan border is journalist by profession. He contributes articles and news stories to various online and print newspapers. His subject matter is terrorism. He is (more...)
