U.N. says supports return of Pakistan's displaced

By Jason Subler

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The United Nations stands ready to help with the return of people displaced by fighting between Pakistani security forces and militants, despite concerns over whether the conditions are right, a top U.N. official said.

Pakistan announced on Thursday that it planned to start bringing the roughly 2 million people who fled the conflict in the northwest back home in stages from next Monday.

Their plight is a sensitive issue for the government, which could see support for its more than two-month offensive against the Taliban eroded if they are seen to be suffering unduly.

U.N. Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said on Friday his organisation hoped to see the displaced return to their homes as soon as possible, but that the security situation and basic services needed to be acceptable before they do so.

"This is something that we have been discussing intensively with the government, to make sure that from our point of view we are satisfied that the conditions are right. Our main concern is to make sure that people are not forced to return before they're ready," Holmes told reporters in the Pakistani capital.

"The worst of all possible worlds would be if people went back home to some of the areas and then had to leave again because the situation was not satisfactory," he said.

Most of the internally displaced people (IDPs) are living with family or friends in so-called host communities, while about 280,000 are living in tent camps.

About 380,000 people have already returned to the district of Buner, but the situation in the former tourist valley of Swat, northwest of Islamabad, is less certain.