PAKMIL CONTINUES TO MAKE GAINS IN SWAT; UN PUTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ISLAMABAD 001140 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON IO PGOV PHUM PINR PK PREF PREL PTER SUBJECT: PAKMIL CONTINUES TO MAKE GAINS IN SWAT; UN PUTS IDP NUMBERS AT 2.85 MILLION ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Pakistan military tightened control around Mingora on May 25 and 26. Swat Taliban leader Maulana Fazullah announced that his men would no longer fight in Mingora and pleaded for those displaced to return to the city. However, Pakistan military officials saw this announcement as a ploy to convince the displaced to return to provide better cover to their militancy operations. U.S. Consulate Peshawar contacts report that militant presence is increasing in the northern Swat areas, Lower Dir and Shangla while in Buner, the Frontier Corps is preparing for mopping-up sweeps. ¶2. (SBU) The UN High Commission of Refugees reports the total number of internally displaced persons to be approximately 2.85 million; however, these numbers are likely to decrease by 20 to 30 percent once registration lists are cleaned and consolidated, expected to be completed by the end of May. UN agencies report that approximately 500 schools within the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) are currently being used to house the displaced families, and the agencies are looking at ways to better assist this portion of the population as well. In a press conference on May 25, the Benazir Income Support Program Chairperson announced that as many as 25,000 IDP families from Swat will be issued "Benazir Smart Cards," which will entitle these families to free health facilities, life insurance, and vocational training for one family member. A riot broke out at a Mardan district IDP camp following the visit of Pakistan Muslim League leadership. End Summary. MILITARY UPDATE -------------- SWAT District, Malakand Division, Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP): ¶3. (U) On May 25, the Pakistan Army reported that they had secured Maalam Jabba, the former ski resort and a militant stronghold. Major General Athar Abbas, spokesman for the Army's Inter-services Public Relations office (DG ISPR), noted that Maalam Jabba was on the main line of communication between Swat and Manserha District, NWFP, and was being used as a training center and logistics base for militants. During the fighting, the Army reportedly killed four militants; six soldiers were injured and eight militants were arrested. Abbas also reported that Pakistan troops continued operations in the Peochar valley and neighboring areas where ;Taliban from Mingora are fleeing. ¶4. (U) In a press conference, Abbas noted once again that the operations in Swat, especially in the main city of Mingora, will be "a little slow" and may take "seven to ten days" to fully clear the city of militants. He reported that the slow progress was a combination of fighting while attempting to avoid civilian casualties and clearing the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that the Army is encountering in Mingora proper. ¶5. (U) Following the capture of Maalam Jabba, General Tariq Majid, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a visiting CODEL on May 26 that Pakistan military troops secured strategic peaks around Saidu Sharif, the Swat district capital and south of Mingora, allowing for tighter control around the Mingora area. ¶6. (U) In a May 25 interview, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan announced that the Swat Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah has directed his men to stop battling within Mingora and surrounding areas. According to Khan, Fazlullah believes that the fighting is only causing undue hardships on the innocent civilian population of Mingora and he will not create any further hurdles for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their homes there. Khan noted, however, that this appeal for the IDPs to return was not to be interpreted as a ceasefire in that the Taliban will remain in the main city to "enforce shari'a law." Abbas dismissed these claims as a "ploy" by the militants to use the returning residents as a cover in their attempts to better blend in with the local population. ISLAMABAD 00001140 002 OF 005 ¶7. (SBU) Non-governmental organization (NGO) contacts with U.S. Consulate Peshawar report that there is an increasing militant presence in Kalam city in the Kohistani area of northern Swat. SHANGLA District, Malakand Division, NWFP: ¶8. (U) Local media report that militants from Buner and Swat on May 25 took over several key locations, including a government house, and a portion of the highway in the Poran area of Shangla district that links Shangla to Swat. Press indicates that a curfew has been in place and communication lines disrupted for the past five days in Shangla to allow for movement of security forces. LOWER DIR District, Malakand Division, NWFP: ¶9. (U) Local press reports that on May 25 the Kalpani check post in Lower Dir was attacked, and in the incursion, two security personnel and 20 militants were killed. ¶10. (SBU) On May 26, Consulate Peshawar contacts within the local district government said that continued militant activity in the Maidan area (home to Maulana Sufi Mohammad) is leading the district government to contemplate a curfew on that area yet again in preparation for possible follow-on operations in that area by the Frontier Corps (FC). BUNER District, Malakand Division, NWFP ¶11. (SBU) In Buner, a contact within the local government confirmed with Consulate Peshawar on May 26 that while militants remained in the Pir Baba area and other northern parts of the district, no organized resistance remains. The Frontier Corps (FC) is reforming local lashkar forces (neighborhood watch groups) to conduct "mopping-up" sweeps. SOUTH WAZIRISTAN Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA): ¶12. (U) On May 25, security forces moved tanks and heavy artillery into Frontier Region Tank, adjacent to South Waziristan. Additional reports indicate that on May 26, troops entered the Chak Malai area of South Waziristan without resistance. CURRENT CONDITIONS FOR IDPS -------------- Statistics: ¶13. (U) According to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on May 26, the overall number of registered IDPs, including both the old and new caseloads, is approximately 2.85 million IDPs. (Note: UN and GOP authorities consider the influx of IDPs from Swat, Buner, and Lower Dir since May 2 to be the "new caseload" as opposed to the 550,000 IDPs from the earlier Bajaur and Mohmand operations. End note.) ¶14. (U) Before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior on May 25, Interior Ministry Joint Secretary Shahidullah Beg reported that there are 26 relief camps currently operating in the NWFP, with 338,422 IDPs living in them, with another approximately 2.6 million IDPs living outside the camps with host families. According to GOP numbers, this brought the current IDP population to over 2.9 million IDPs. Additionally, the NWFP government has deployed Frontier Corps and police assets to the camps for security purposes and established over 80 registration points throughout Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Nowshera, Kohat, and Peshawar districts. ¶15. (U) The overall number of IDPs is likely to decrease by 20 to 30 percent once the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) completes the consolidation of the various registration lists, which is expected by the end of May. This consolidation is likely to remove many duplicate registrations that are known to have taken place in the overall registration process. ISLAMABAD 00001140 003 OF 005 Return of IDPs: ¶16. (SBU) In a May 25 meeting with RefCoord and USAID Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART) Leader, the UNHCR confirmed that it has not been facilitating the IDP returns announced by Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmad with the Special Support Group (SSG). UNHCR staff believes that IDPs are largely returning temporarily in order to harvest crops and that the IDPs themselves are in the best position to determine whether it is safe to return. IDPs are free to take their UNHCR-provided tents and non-food items kits (NFIs) if they return home. The NWFP government is not providing UNHCR data on those returning, and, therefore, the absence of returned IDPs is only evident, whether inside or outside the camps, when they do not arrive for food distributions. UNHCR does not plan to de-register IDPs unless they fail to arrive for two consecutive (monthly) distributions of dry rations. UNHCR staff said they had no way to assess the realities of GOP estimates of returnees from outside the camps, but the staff did note that they had observed returns to Bajaur agency from the Jalozai camps. UNHCR posited that IDPs will not permanently return until after they receive the GOP's promised PKR 25,000/family. (Note: UNHCR reports that IDP are also supposed to receive compensation for loss of family members killed in the conflict. End note.) (septel) Humanitarian Situation: ¶17. (U) The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on May 26 that a number of IDPs residing outside the camps are currently occupying approximately 500 schools in the NWFP, where the conditions are reportedly overcrowded. The UN Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) cluster chairman in Swabi district reported that all government schools in the district are currently sheltering IDPs and noted the need for additional WASH support. (Note: USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is providing WASH support to displaced populations, including individuals in host communities, schools, and other facilities, through the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and humanitarian NGOs. End note.) ¶18. (U) OCHA noted the importance of support for families hosting IDPs, particularly the families that have been hosting families displaced since the previous year. OCHA also emphasized the importance of assisting populations that have stayed behind in the conflict areas once assessments can be conducted, particularly for the elderly, sick and disabled. UN Habitat, which OFDA is supporting in the shelter sector, reported that distributions of 5,000 tents to alleviate IDP overcrowding in host communities in Mardan district began on May 25. ¶19. (SBU) Following a May 25 meeting with Nadeem, OCHA reported that security conditions in Buner district, particularly in the south, are improving enough to permit an assessment of the damage in the near future. The UN is planning to conduct a multi-agency needs assessment of populations that stayed behind and damage assessment of infrastructure needed to facilitate IDP returns. The UN is also planning to conduct a similar assessment in Bajaur agency in the near future, date yet to be confirmed. Humanitarian Coordination: ¶20. (U) UN agencies are increasing staffing in response to the new displacement. OCHA is adding two international field officers soon (date unknown) while UNHCR has added 14 additional international staff for operational support in the past week. The UN Department of Safety and Security is bringing an analyst to Pakistan to provide additional security information to the entire humanitarian community. ¶21. (U) The UN Shelter cluster met during the week of May 18, and it focused primarily on camp issues, with limited discussion of host family needs and planning for IDP returns. In discussions with the DART, NGOs have highlighted the importance of also providing shelter assistance for some IDPs living in host communities, such as them living in household ISLAMABAD 00001140 004 OF 005 courtyards. Humanitarian Assistance: ¶22. (U) In a press conference on May 25, Benazir Income Support Program Chairperson Farzana Raja announced that as many as 25,000 IDP families from Swat will be issued "Benazir Smart Cards," which will entitle these families to free health facilities, life insurance, and vocational training for one family member. The card holders were also to receive a monthly stipend of PKR 1000 (approximately USD 12). She also noted that over 500 displaced women in Peshawar had already received the cards and expected to have 3.5 million families, including IDP families, to benefit from this program by the end of June. (Note: To ensure transparency and accuracy, Raja noted that the cards would have the recipient's fingerprint, instead of photo, and a "poverty score card" that would give details of the recipient's financial status. End note.) ¶23. (U) On May 23, the Embassy's Narcotics Affairs Section provided a generator set for the FC sub-headquarters office in Daggar, the district capital of Buner. The electrical grid and tube wells for providing potable water had been previously damaged by militant activity. The FC offices, the troop accommodation area, the District Commissioner's Office, and the Civil Colony within Buner are now receiving fresh drinking water due to the generator set. (Note: FC troops in Buner have been reporting a high level of intestinal ailments due to the dirty drinking water. End note.) Health and WASH: ¶24. (U) The UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported on May 26 that the Disease Early Warning System has been established in Swabi District, and reporting commenced immediately. ¶25. (U) UNICEF staff noted that the recent displacement offered an opportunity for polio vaccination teams to reach children previously inaccessible due to militant opposition to vaccination campaigns. To date, UNICEF teams have vaccinated 15,000 children in seven camps for polio and measels in NWFP and noted that future vaccination campaigns would cover children accommodated in schools, government buildings, IDP camps, and private premises. UNICEF is also providing teams with special training to vaccinate and register all children based with host families. (Note: UNICEF reports that the success of the vaccination campaigns has been due in large part to improved camp management at all the camps. End note.) ¶26. (U) In addition, UNICEF reported providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities for more than 22,000 people in four of the recently established camps to prevent the spread of diseases among children. UNICEF is supporting latrines, water tanks, and boreholes for safe drinking water. POLITICAL UPDATE -------------- ¶27. (U) On May 26, Pakistan Muslim League leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain visited the Takhtbai IDP camp in Mardan district. During his visit, he promised the camp inhabitants that the PML would provide over 10,000 fans to the 26 camps as summer approached and turned over a small number of fans to the Takhtbai camp management. As management attempted to distribute the fans, a riot took place and security forces were called in restrain the crowd. ¶28. (U) In a May 25 briefing to the Peshawar Press Club, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) provincial ameer Sirajul Haq accused the Awami National Party (ANP),the ruling party of the NWFP, of sabotaging the peace agreement with the Taliban and the shari'a-based Nizam-e-Adl, which led to the "current disastrous situation" in Malakand Division. In response, NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that the religious parties, including JI, had been taken into confidence before the Malakand operations were launched and the enforcement of the Nizam-e-Adl regulation had been ISLAMABAD 00001140 005 OF 005 enforced in Malakand; therefore, JI and other religious parties had no justification in denouncing the ongoing situation in the division. PATTERSON