Kurram crisis deepens with road closures for 76th day straight

The situation in Kurram continues to be grim due to acute shortage of food, medicines, fuel and other essential commodities, while the closure of roads has added to the woes of the people in the district.

Kurram Peshawar’s main road has been closed for 76th day straight, due to which citizens staged a four-day sit-in at Parachinar Press Club. Children are also among the participates.

Condemning the starvation of people due to acute food shortages, the protesters said their sit-in would continue until the roads were reopened.

Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud reiterated the government’s stance that the roads were closed due to security concerns.

Last week, the provincial apex committee decided to dismantle all private bunkers as part of efforts to restore peace in Kurram district, where more than 200 people have been killed in tribal clashes since July.

The warring sides agreed to an indefinite ceasefire on December 6 after the government and tribal elders made strenuous efforts to restore peace.

However, the government’s decision to block roads to control the violence has cut off Upper Kurram from the rest of the country, leaving nearly 400,000 residents stranded there.

The prolonged closure has disrupted daily life in the area. Public and private educational institutions are forced to shut down due to fuel shortage and ATMs are inactive due to running out of cash in banks.

Hotels, bakeries, vegetable stalls and fruit shops are also closed due to lack of supply.

In view of the humanitarian crisis in the district, rescue service Edhi Foundation is operating three flights daily to deliver medicines and airlift patients.

Saad Edhi expressed regret over the serious situation in the area and said that dozens of children have lost their lives due to lack of proper medical care while the actual number is much higher.

A day earlier, sources close to Edhi had also claimed that 50 children had died, of which 31 were at DHQ Hospital in Parachinar.

In view of the current situation in Kurram, the provincial government has launched a helicopter service claiming that a total of 147 people, including tribal elders, patients, students, government staff and other citizens, have been airlifted so far.

In its first flight, the helicopter ferried 15 people, including Jirga members and government officials, from Peshawar to Parachinar.

The helicopter made three additional journeys between Parachinar and Thal, in which 87 people were transported from Parachinar to Thal and 15 people back to Parachinar.