Displaced people are slowly beginning to return to their homes following fierce fighting in Pakistan. But many are scared and confused about what the future holds. Farkhanda Wazir talks to one of them.

“Our home has been destroyed. I don’t know what will we do when we go back to our village”, says Sardara, 35, feeding her month-old baby. “It is very difficult for us to stay away from home. But I am very worried about the situation there. We want to go back but people tell me that our area is still not safe.”

Sardara is one of more than 10,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) living in Katlang. Local residents have been hosting IDPs, including many women and children, in their homes and schools. Oxfam is also working there to provide safe water and sanitation.

She has taken shelter in a half-built house with her family and relatives. This area is one of the key transit points through which most of the IDPs have arrived from Swat and Buner in search of a safe place to settle down.

“Oxfam has installed latrines and hand pumps for us in this building. Other organisations have given us flour, oil and pulses. But we also need medical help,”  says Sardara.  “Our biggest problem is to get registration cards. My family received cooking buckets, mats, soap and hand fans from Oxfam without a card. But we will not receive anything from the government unless we have a card. My husband has tried for a month to get a card but without success.

“I think the majority of the people are waiting for the call by the government to go back. We are scared and confused. I don’t know what waits for us at home.”

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