Pakistan: Kurram District's main highway closed for 73 days, locals face starvation
Crisis in Kurram District: Road Closures Lead to Starvation and Protests
The main highway in Pakistan's Kurram District, near the Pakistan-Afghan border, has been closed for 73 days due to unrest, causing severe hardships for locals. Residents of Parachinar are facing starvation as the road closures have disrupted the supply chain to Upper Kurram, affecting nearly 400,000 people. Essential supplies like food, medicine, and fuel have run out, forcing schools and businesses to shut down.
ATMs are out of cash, worsening financial difficulties. Hospitals face critical medicine shortages, leading to patient deaths, including children. Zulfiqar Ali stated that the provincial government, Punjab government, and Edhi Air Ambulance are trying to provide medicines via helicopters and air ambulances.
Citizens have started a sit-in protest, demanding the reopening of roads and provision of supplies. Protest leaders Iqrar Iqrar Turi, Mir Afzal Khan, Samar Bangash, and Shafaat Hussain highlighted the dire situation, warning of a potential humanitarian crisis. Labourers have joined the protest, demanding immediate action.
The district administration cited security concerns, including firing on passenger convoys and clashes, as reasons for the road closures.
Doubts Revealed
Kurram District
Kurram District is a region in Pakistan, which is a country neighboring India. It is located in the northwestern part of Pakistan.
Highway closure
A highway is a major road that connects different places. When it is closed, vehicles cannot pass through, which means people cannot get the things they need, like food and medicine.
Starvation
Starvation means not having enough food to eat, which can make people very sick or even cause death. It happens when people cannot get food for a long time.
Protests
Protests are when people gather together to show they are unhappy about something. They do this to make others listen to their problems and try to find a solution.
District administration
District administration refers to the local government officials who manage and make decisions for a specific area, like a district. They are responsible for the safety and well-being of the people living there.
Security concerns
Security concerns mean there are worries about the safety of people or places. It could be due to violence or other dangers that might harm people.
Medicines via air
Delivering medicines via air means using airplanes or helicopters to transport medicines to places that are hard to reach by road. This is done to ensure people get the medical help they need.
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