According to Jan, the Taliban do not have to work all that hard to persuade the young men residing in the camps to join them. He blames both the indiscriminate bombings and the lack of basic human facilities in refugee camps, saying they have left "negative" psychological effects on the youths. "Our youths have become bitterly angry. The courageous among them have joined Taliban, no matter whether they agree with their philosophy or not," he adds.
Most of the refugee camps lack basic health, education, and food facilities. Women have to stand in long lines to get potable water for various hours. Only a few clinics have been set up in such camps by the government, where several nongovernmental organizations provide medical treatment to hundreds of thousands of refugees suffering from diarrhea and other waterborne diseases because of contaminated water and substandard food provided by the government agencies.
Refugees are living in low-quality makeshift tents, which are unable to protect them from the northern chilly winds. Each family, no matter its size, is allocated one tent. In several cases, more than 15 people inhabit a single tent.
Pneumonia and diarrhea are the most common diseases these days, said Abdul Hameed, a doctor volunteer for the Al Khidmat Foundation, one of Pakistan's largest charities, which has been running three temporary clinics at the camp. "We are trying our level best, but we cannot cope with such a huge number of refugees here. The government must focus on that," Hameed says.
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Joker of DC 7:16AM February 12, 2009
Joker of DC 5:09AM February 12, 2009
Fair Minded American of NJ 12:45PM February 09, 2009