PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has released Rs18.5 million funds to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) for distribution to the temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) of North Waziristan tribal district.

The displaced persons verified by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), who have not yet returned to their homes, are eligible to get financial assistance of Rs12,000 per family through SIM cards. According to an official statement, 15,229 displaced families of North Waziristan are eligible for the grant. This is the 75th tranche for the TDPs the process of which was initiated in June 2014.

Over 100,000 families were displaced due to military operation Zarb-e-Azb against militants in June 2014. Over 90 percent displaced families have returned to their homes in North Waziristan since completion of the operation. However, some areas of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan are still considered as conflict zones.

Under the program, registered displaced families of North Waziristan receive Rs12,000 per month. Over 1,100 displaced families from Khyber tribal district also get food items under this program.

The PDMA says the monthly assistance was being provided to TDPs of North Waziristan regularly to minimise their financial burdens as they don’t have homes or jobs. It says Rs12,000 given to every displaced family regularly on a monthly basis without any hindrance.

Some displaced families are still living in Bakakhel Camp near Bannu, which is jointly managed by the Pakistan Army and PDMA. Over 2,000 families from North Waziristan had also migrated to Afghanistan in the wake of the military operation.

Over a thousand families from Tirah valley of Khyber tribal district are also yet to return to the area due to lack of basic facilities. However, the TDPs from Tirah are not filling voluntary return forms which is a stumbling block in their return. There is some issue in granting the status of TDPs to the displaced people of Tirah-Rajgal due to various reasons. These displaced persons have staged several protests to get the TDPs status, but their demands are still not accepted.

The return process of TDPs to South Waziristan and Orakzai tribal districts has already been completed.