Robert Birsel ISLAMABAD
Hundreds of thousands of Pakistani civilians trapped by an offensive against the Taliban face catastrophe, a human rights group said yesterday.
The fighting in Swat, about 80 miles northwest of Pakistan's capital Islamabad, has sparked an exodus of 2.3 million people, according to provincial government figures,but about 200,000 people are believed to be still living in the valley.
Severe shortages of food, water and medicine are creating a humanitarian crisis for trapped civilians, said Brad Adams, Asia director of US-based group Human Rights Watch.
He added: "People trapped in the Swat conflict zone face a humanitarian catastrophe unless the Pakistani military lifts a curfew and arlifts in essential supplies."-AP
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