Summary
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HIGHLIGHTS
- On 02 September, Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Kazmi was injured and his driver was killed in Islamabad, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on his vehicle. The attack raised concern about security in the capital.
- Military operations in Swat continue. On 01 September, 96 militants were arrested and more than 100 surrendered to security forces near Mingora, Swat’s main town.
- A suicide bomber caused a huge explosion at a police station in Mingora on 30 August, killing at least 16 members of the Special Police Force and injuring another five. A WFP mission was in Mingora at the time of the incident to identify new locations for logistics hubs, but returned safely to Peshawar base. All missions to Swat were temporary suspended. According to UNDSS, only daytrips are permitted and no over-night stays.
- The official IDP figures of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) still stands at 329,792 families (status since 13 August).
- Latest Government figures (01 Sept) show that 234,526 families returned to their homes in southern Swat, Buner and Lower Dir districts since the return process officially started on 13 July. These are 1,071 families more since last week, with the majority returning to Swat, but also to Buner.
- Since 01 September, only nine hubs remain operational within host communities for contingency purposes: two in Peshawar, two in Mardan, and one in Kohat, Charsadda, Nowshera, Manshera and Abbotabad respectively.
- To meet the needs of the returning population in Buner and Swat, six additional humanitarian hubs have been established in these districts, for a total of 13. Including the hubs in Malakand and Bajaur, which are also located in the area of returnees, the overall number of hubs is now 24.
- On 01/02 September, an ECHO mission visited Jalozai camp in Nowshera and one of the WFPmanaged hubs in Buner (Buner 1 – Sowarhi), where NFI distributions take place through Oxfam. The mission also looked at UNICEF’s water rehabilitation scheme and visited a school and hospital.