Internally displaced persons are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border. They are refugees in their own country.

Similar disaster in Pakistan has, recently, resulted in a massive internal displacement; the residents of these areas are migrating to safer regions like Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Nowshera, Jalozai and Peshawar. More than 3 million people are displaced from their places of residence; Swat Calamity is termed as largest humanitarian and displacement calamity in recent times. These Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) need our help on emergency basis.

The POB Trust organized its first free eye camp in Mardan District on Friday, May 29, 2009. This free eye camp lasted till May 31, 2009. A team consisting of 12 ophthalmologists along with essential paramedical staff organized this free eye camp in Mardan. Other than this base camp, 3 subsidiary eye camps were held in adjacent areas to Mardan comprising of 4 eye specialists in each camp. Similarly, a team of 8 doctors and 11 paramedics set up a free eye camp in Swabi from June 19 to June 21, 2009. A large number of local people visited the camps for eye treatment. The other free eye camps were held at Charsadda, Nowshera and Jalozai on June 27, and 28, 2009 comprising 9 ophthalmologists and 13 paramedics. Total number of beneficiaries from these camps exceeds the figure 6,000 while 1,810 patients were provided glasses. More than 100 patients were operated upon.

These free eye camps aimed to reduce visual impairment among IDPs through improved accessibility to ophthalmologic diagnosis and care. The POB Trust will continue to organize free eye camps in these districts for IDPs.