Background
This paper examines the rationale and relevance of post-conflict livelihood interventions1 in Swat and Lower Dir districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan. Both of these districts have undergone violent conflicts (militancy in 2007-2009) and natural disaster (floods in 2010) in the recent past and have seen a huge inflow of international development aid (Shahbaz et al., 2012).
Rebuilding livelihoods and economic recovery are major challenges in conflict- and disaster-affected areas. Such regions need special attention from international and national donors as well as from the state. Livelihood recovery in post-conflict situations is often the foremost priority of international development assistance in fragile- and conflict-affected states.