Title: Sectarian Violence Severely Impacts Northwestern Pakistani City

Sectarian conflicts have effectively isolated a predominantly Shi’ite city in northwestern Pakistan from the rest of the Sunni-majority nation. Recent violence in the area has led to a critical shortage of essential commodities like food, fuel, and medication in Parachinar.

The city’s primary access route was blocked last month due to ongoing clashes, leading to increased distress among the city’s inhabitants. Residents, including local tribal leader Munawar Hussain, have reported that children are succumbing to a lack of food and medical supplies.

Healthcare professionals who wished to remain anonymous have revealed that numerous children have lost their lives due to the shortage of medicines. However, this claim has been disputed by the authorities.

The violence between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims in the Kurram district, where Paracharin is located, has resulted in hundreds of casualties this year. Just last month, close to a hundred people lost their lives due to a series of ambushes on the main road connecting Kurram to the rest of Pakistan. This led to the road’s closure, exacerbating the situation.

The authorities have so far been unsuccessful in brokering peace talks between the Sunni and Shi’ite communities to stop the violence. The blockade has had a significant impact on the civilians caught in the middle. Nearby Sunni villages have been left isolated due to fears of attacks, while residents of Parachinar struggle to procure basic necessities.

A healthcare worker revealed on December 18 that at least 34 children have passed away in recent weeks due to the lack of medicine. The main hospital in Parachinar has also run out of oxygen supplies.

Cold temperatures in Parachinar are contributing to rising pneumonia cases among children, according to local doctors. Healthcare workers are also preparing for a surge in deaths among the elderly, as many patients suffering from severe illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and heart and kidney diseases have run out of their medicines.

The government is currently investigating these reported deaths. Muhammad Ali Saif, a government spokesman, assured journalists that the issue was not due to a lack of medicines.

The Prime Minister has ordered provincial authorities to take immediate steps to send medicine to Parachinar. The Edhi Foundation, a private charity, flew in medicine on December 18 and evacuated two critically ill women for treatment in Peshawar.

However, according to local activist Laiq Hussain, these supplies are insufficient for the city’s large population. The government has been blamed for its failure to reopen the main road and its apparent indifference to the situation.

The provincial authorities have been unable to reopen the main route due to the presence of armed men from both Sunni and Shi’ite communities. Kurram, a mountainous district bordering Afghanistan, has long been a hotspot for sporadic sectarian violence, resulting in thousands of deaths over the years.