To your local member

Dear …………….. ,

As one of your constituents, I wish to bring to your attention the desperate plight of the over 1.5 million people who have been displaced by the fighting in the Northwest Province Area of Pakistan. This area includes such places as the Swat Valley. It borders Afghanistan and has become a focus of fierce fighting between regular Pakistani military forces and Taliban insurgents.

These people, through no fault of their own, have been swept up into this conflict and are now homeless and facing starvation and disease unless emergency assistance is given as soon as possible.

They desperately need food and medical help as they face trying to survive in daytime temperatures over 400C temperatures with little water, shelter and food.

Our contacts in Pakistan advise the following:

• Foods including flour, pulses, powdered milk and tea should be provided. These supplies can be cooked by the displaced people themselves, eliminating their current dependence on cooked food provided to them by host communities.
• Medical supplies of all kinds and counselling are needed urgently.
• Tents are not advisable as they increase the intensity of day time temperatures. This is particularly difficult because most of those displaced come from the colder areas of north Pakistan. The Pakistan Government plans to house displaced people in government schools and other buildings (the school summer vacation period has just begun).

I ask that you alert the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Stephen Smith, to these concerns.

Please urge him to treble the $12 million offered so far by our Federal Government and to take steps to ensure that the required food and medical supplies are delivered to the affected areas urgently.

Yours sincerely