Latest developments India and Pakistan declared a cease-fire on 12 July. There has also been are resurgence of violence by Muslim separatists within Indian Kashmir. Some 19 people have been killed in two attacks, and Indian officials say that they expect further incidents. Most of the remaining 30,000 people say they do not plan to return until mid-August, for fear of further attacks. In the short term, the displaced face shortages of food, clothes and shelter.
Schools receiving the displaced are extremely over-crowded, and many are now running two shifts.
However, the most difficult problems are yet to come. Returning home at the end of the short agricultural season, families will face a severe winter with little to sustain them. Many abandoned houses were taken over by the military, and livestock, crops and possessions have probably been destroyed. Roads into the Kargil and Leh area, where most families come from, are closed for six months over the winter period, and opportunities to earn an income are extremely limited. Many families could easily be pulled into a cycle of poverty and debt.