Pakistanis Flee Fighting
2009-11-16 13:19
Many children are among the thousands of displaced people who have escaped here to Dera Ismail Khan.
But local schools have no room for them.
The local government has opened 16 more schools. More than 2,000 students are now enrolled.
But even with the extra schools there’s just not enough space.
[Masud ur Rehman, Displaced Teacher]:
“A lot of children come, during the first time as well as the second time. They enroll themselves, then go away."
Now some of the local schools are putting on a second shift. Children are lining up to be enrolled.
[Asif Raheem, Displaced Student]:
"When we came from above, we found there were no arrangements for our education here. Our books were left at home. The government should make arrangements for us."
Many families had to leave all of their possessions behind when they fled here.
[Tariq Zaman, Volunteer Teacher]:
“They say they had to flee in such a hurry that they left their books and everything else behind, and just managed to save their heads. Not a single one of them has books."
