ABSTRACT
The Report includes the findings of an Inter-Cluster Assessment mission to the de-notified areas of Orakzai Agency. The mission held meetings with Government officials and IDPs and visited some of the villages to which the IDPs will return. The mission found conditions in the Agency conducive for returns, recommends support to the returns process, except to four villages where there is a risk of landmines mines.
1. Background
Orakzai Agency consists of Upper and Lower Sub-divisions. The Upper Sub-division comprises two Tehsils, Upper Tehsil and Ismailzai Tehsil, while the Lower sub-division also has two Tehsils, Lower Tehsil and Central Tehsil. It is bounded in the north by Khyber Agency, in the east by FR Kohat, in the south by Kohat and Hangu districts, and in the west by Kurram Agency. The Agency is characterized by intensely cold winters and mild summers. December, January and February are the coldest months and snowfall occurs in these months. Surrounding mountains are covered by dense, thick forests, which produce a cooling effect in summer. Due to geographical position of Orakzai and its thick forest cover, it rains throughout the year. In winter the precipitation is in the form of snowfall over the surrounding mountains as well as in the valley itself. The Orakzai tribe consists of; Ismailzai, Daulatzai, Alizai, Muhammad Khel, Sultanzai, Ali Khel, Malla Khel, Mishti and Sheikhan sub-tribes. In total, there are about twenty four major sections of these tribes. The largest tribe is Ali Khel.
The FATA Secretariat formally notified Upper and Lower Orakazai as conflict affected areas on 26 Novemeber, 2009. The security operation was started in Orakzai Agency in 2009 which displaced 38,275 families from Mishti, Feroz Khel, Utman Khel Sheikhan Stori khel and Bezot tribes. Majority of the IDP population took refuge in the adjoining districts of Kohat and Hangu. Vulnerable families were accommodated in Togh Sarai Camp where all the clusters provided the basic facilities. As per the UNHCR IDP factsheet, about 726 families are residing in the camp from 54 de-notified villages.
Upon the decision of the RTF held on the 2 September, FDMA requested that the prerequisite steps be undertaken prior to returns of families to the de-notified villages and therefore, an inter-agency security mission visited the area on 15 September, followed by inter-cluster mission on the 19 September to assess the overall situation in the de-notified villages.