Pakistan: 2.5 Million People Displaced In One Month

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Pakistan, the government offensive against militant groups has displaced more than 2.5 million people in a little over one month, a situation which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is calling the most rapid large-scale displacement since the immediate aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmed the Obama administrations nomination of Eric Schwartz as the State Departments Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration. Schwartzs nomination and confirmation was long overdue.

The Refugee Bureau and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance must ensure that U.S. funding is provided swiftly to organizations with the capacity to make an immediate difference in the lives of displaced people, most of whom are living with host families rather than in camps. It is especially important for Schwartz and his colleagues to ensure that UNHCR is able to respond on a scale commensurate with the need.

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