Mr. Patrick T. Evans, FAO Representative to Pakistan visited North Waziristan Agency in FATA on January 17-18 with Mr. Finbarr Curran, Representative WFP, Mr. Farman Khilji, OCHA, and Mr. Aadil Mansoor from UNDP.
During the two day visit, the team held meetings with high ranking military officials, members of political administration, and community members in the area.
This is a critical time for North Waziristan Agency as it has begun to welcome home families that were displaced as a result of the military operation to clear the area of militants. According to UN OCHA, approximately 75,000 families have returned to North Waziristan since March 2015 and another 35,000 families (including 7,000 from Afghanistan) are to return soon.
Efforts are underway to assist the returnees to rebuild their lives in North Waziristan. The Pakistani military is promoting a three pronged campaign which focuses on getting children into schools, sports for youth, and agriculture / livestock development for livelihoods.
The team was shown around Miran Shah and Mirali to witness the military led reconstruction and rehabilitation work underway. They observed that the military is doing a lot but there still remains a great deal of work to rebuild markets, schools, health centers, and people’s livelihoods. Agriculture and livestock development will be crucial for supporting food security and economic development with the overall aim of achieving peace and security for the Agency.
The returnees of 2016, who have access to agriculture land, are now cultivating wheat and vegetables (seeds from FAO) with orchard rehabilitation and replanting being planned. The team also visited a food distribution center run by WFP and WFP’s food support is greatly appreciated.
The military is committed to the development of North Waziristan and are genuinely seeking the support of the UN to help ensure development and achieve long term peace for the Agency. Education, health, nutrition, water/sanitation, and livelihood development are all needed.
In the agriculture sector, the GOC identified a tremendous opportunity in value addition of Chilgoza pine forests for pine nuts, date processing, horticulture development, poultry production, beekeeping and tunnel farming techniques for increasing vegetable production. An additional 16,000 acres of irrigated land will soon be added below the Kurram Tangi. The military is currently organizing education for several thousand students in schools outside of North Waziristan as well as vocational training in North Waziristan for women. The potential of North Waziristan looks very good and there is real hope for the future. To secure it, action is needed today.