The Swat Valley, known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, is located in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The Valley has been under serious attacks by the Taliban since 2007, creating humanitarian concerns, thereby forcing inhabitants to migrate due to imminent danger and violence caused by the conflict.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR), over 2 million people have been displaced as fighting intensified between Pakistan Military and the Taliban. A major reason why the crisis has not been a humanitarian catastrophe, Jonathan Alpeyrie of Eurasia Insight reports (July 17, 2009), lies in the fact that, Pakistani families in secured areas have offered to host about 80 percent of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The UNHCR reports today (July 29, 2009) that thousands of displaced Pakistani families are returning home under a government-sponsored repatriation programme though many fear re-displacement hence refused to return.
As always, UNHCR are often pressured to manifest one of its "solution" for forced movement by heavily favoring "voluntary" repatriation. During such process, women and girls are usually subjected to all forms of violence and human rights abuses, including their right to health and education. Worth noting is the infamous Maulana Fazlullah, an Islamist militant leader of Tehreek-e-Nafas-e-Shariat-e-eMohammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law). Fazlullah, nick name "Radio Mullah" and his group are responsible for banning girls education in the Swat District. According to Changing Up Pakistan, some 400 private schools with enrollment as high has 40,000 girls have been shut down. Ten girls' schools that tried to open after the January 15, 2009 deadline were blown up, adding up to the over 170 schools already bombed or torched.
There were over 350 privately owned schools in the Swat Region, each having a separate section for boys and girls, BBC reports. But over the past year, except for 96 schools, all were ordered to close down resulting in blatant violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights laws. Of the 
estimated 1 million children displaced by the violent conflict, UNICEF utmost priority has been to ensure that some 700,000 school-aged children are able to return to classes in September this year.
estimated 1 million children displaced by the violent conflict, UNICEF utmost priority has been to ensure that some 700,000 school-aged children are able to return to classes in September this year.As gender equality (goal # 3 of the Millennium Development Goals) is pre-requisite for any nations development, it is important to support and ensure that Pakistani women and girls, who are already suffering from the impact of violent displacement, be given access to health and education; even as they embark on returning home.
Video: Swat Valley's Humanitarian Crisis
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Written by: Veronica Fynn
UPDATES
November 10, 2009: Bomb-Blast Victims Lack Trauma Care, Counselling
Bomb-blast victims lack trauma care, counselling
September 4, 2009: Executions Continues in Swat Valley
August 15, 2009: Suicide Bomber kills at least five in Swat Valley
August 14, 2009: Pakistan's dancing girls return after Taliban defeated in Swat Valley
August 2, 2009: Displaced return to Swat Valley
