IRIN
PAKISTAN: Government calls for immediate return of aid workers to
   quake-hit Bagh
21 May 2007


ISLAMABAD, 21 May 2007 (IRIN) - The Pakistani government has called for 
the immediate return of all aid agencies to quake-affected Bagh district 
after a suspension of activities in the region earlier this month.

Located in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, Bagh was devastated by the 
October 2005 earthquake that ripped through much of northern Pakistan, 
killing more than 80,000 and rendering more than 3.5 million people 
homeless.

"We are ready to restore the confidence between the UN and NGO 
[non-governmental organizations] community," Raja Naseem Khan, minister 
for reconstruction and rehabilitation for Pakistani-administered 
Kashmir, told IRIN in the capital, Islamabad.

"We want the aid community back on the ground in Bagh," Khan said. "I 
can personally guarantee the safety and security of all those aid 
workers working for the NGO and UN community."

His comments come after some 49 NGO and UN agencies suspended more than 
US$82 million-worth of projects and activities in the area following a 
spate of security incidents - purportedly carried out by a small group 
of local people who object to the hiring of women by the agencies, as 
well as the hiring of non-locals.

The incidents led to the burning of a local UN staff member's home in 
Bagh sub-district on 7 May.

Awami Action Forum

According to two NGOs in the area, Human Aid Focus and the Maqsood 
Welfare Foundation, members of various humanitarian groups working in 
the area had come under attack from a group calling itself the Awami 
Action Forum.

"The malicious disinformation propaganda and the physical violence 
perpetrated by the self-appointed custodians of public morality have 
paralysed the ongoing humanitarian operation in the district," the 
groups said in a statement. The group's joint secretary-general, 
Muhammad Farooq Sheikh, described the atmosphere in Bagh as a "climate 
of fear and violence created by people with self-motivated agendas".

"Those leading the vigilant action are against the participation of 
women in development work," Sheikh said. His views were shared by a 
number of other NGOs working in the area, but who asked not to be 
identified.

The UN suspended its operations in the area on 9 May, calling for 
enhanced coordination and communication links between the UN, 
humanitarian workers, local civil authorities and community leaders.

Code of conduct

However, according to Khan, progress has been made with a proposed 
18-point draft code of conduct by the Bagh United People's Forum, a 
group of 33 community and religious leaders, which was presented to 
members of the aid community for discussion last week.

"As far as I am concerned the NGOs are doing a wonderful job and there 
is no problem whatsoever," the minister said.

"Whatever discontent there may have been, this has been localised and no 
foreign NGO or staff member has been involved in any controversy," he 
said.

"There is a general impression that perhaps Islamic morals and codes of 
conduct are being ignored, Khan said, adding: "If there is a 
counterproposal, we can again discuss it," he said.

Asked if the draft code might restrict the independence of the aid 
community to work in the area, he replied: "Not at all." Instead, he 
said, it would improve mutual understanding between the aid community 
and the people they were trying to help.

Not convinced

But many members of the aid community were not convinced.

Zahur Aman Shah, a team leader for the international NGO Mercy Corps 
working in Bagh said if existing working arrangements were not enough 
why did the local government not directly intervene and ask the NGOs to 
follow certain additional codes instead of encouraging local pressure 
groups to do the job.

"The draft code of conduct faxed to NGOs mainly restricts mobility of 
female employees of the NGOs thereby reducing training, livelihoods and 
professional development opportunities for both the female staff and 
village women," Shah said.

It also asks for the promotion of local contractors - apparently a key 
concern of the forum, he added.


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