OCHA Situation Report No. 2 Pakistan - Drought 11 May 2000
Situation and damage 1. The drought situation in Pakistan is rapidly developing into one of the worst natural disasters in the country's history. Balochistan and Sindh are the most heavily affected provinces. Although the affected areas have always been prone to water shortages, rainfall measured over the last few years has reached a record low, with minimal or sometimes no rain falling. A large number of families have been affected together with the loss of livestock, the mainstay of their livelihood. The dearth of food and water has forced many families to migrate to other parts of the country. Balochistan 2. The persistent drought has played havoc with crops and livestock production in the province of Balochistan. The abrupt decline in rainfall in most of the upland of the province has caused a complete drying off of the surface drinking water resources, and has decreased water output from spring and tube wells. This has caused the water table to drop in most of the valleys. 23 out of the total 26 districts in the province have been affected; the most severely affected districts are Chagai, Lasbela, Kharan, Khuzdar, Kalat, Killa Saifullah, Loralai and Pishin. Approximately 1.5 million people have suffered the consequences of the drought. The number of affected livestock is estimated at around 10 million (mostly sheep and goats), representing nearly one third of the total 27 million heads of animals in the province. About 8 % of the livestock have been starved to death, with an equal number of animals have been weakened or succumbed to disease and need medical treatment. Sindh 3. The Thar, Kohistan and Kachoo regions in the province of Sindh, where 95 % of the population live below the poverty line, have been declared disaster areas. About 1.3 million people in the region have been directly affected by the drought. 127 people died a natural death accentuated by malnutrition and related problems. Unless sufficient nutritional and medical curative and preventative support are forthcoming, there will be an increase in loss of human life. Around 30,000 head of the total 5 million livestock have perished so far, and this figure is highly likely to rise. Needs 4. According to a report issued by the government of Balochistan, cash or in-kind assistance worth PKR 3.02 billion (USD 59 million) is urgently required to underpin relief operations in the following sectors for an initial ten weeks period: - Food, medicine and medical facilities, shelter, transportation facilities and drinking water for families in need; - Fodder, vaccinations, medicine and closed or open shelters for the survival of livestock - Water pumps and tanks 5. The government of Sindh has prepared a Full Scale Emergency Relief Plan, focusing on the provision of food, the supply of drinking water and medical coverage, and the protection and nourishment of livestock. The cost of implementing the plan over a 2 month span is estimated at PKR 1.641 billion (USD 32 million). The provincial government has also devised a long-term plan focusing on road improvement and increased water supply, for a total cost of PKR 3.998 billion (USD 78 million). National Response 6. According to the media the Chief Executive of the Pakistan Government appealed to Pakistanis at home and abroad for donations to help victims of the drought. The Chief Executive released an emergency grant of PKR 2 billion (USD 39 million) for immediate relief in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh. The Government of Pakistan has established a special drought relief fund to alleviate the sufferings of the affected people. This will be funded by donations from the nation. The Chief Executive is visiting the drought-ridden areas in the two provinces in the course of this week, in order to oversee relief operations. 7. National and provincial governments in Pakistan have adopted emergency measures to provide relief to the drought-affected areas. The central Government has requested that provincial governments assess the drought-related damage and identify schemes for securing a reliable water supply on a permanent basis. 8. The government of Balochistan with support from Pakistan Army has set up around 40 relief centres from where water, food and fodder will be delivered to the affected population. The government has also announced a PKR 235 million (USD 4.6 million) grant for provision of cattle fodder, and wheat and other basic amenities. Similarly, the government of Sindh has released a cash grant of PKR 215 million (USD 4.2 million) and provided relief supplies for the affected population including wheat and rice, medicine and medical services as well as fodder and veterinary services for remaining livestock. International Response 9. No appeal for international assistance has been received by OCHA to date. 10. In response to requests from the central Government of Pakistan and the local government of Balochistan, the UN Resident Coordinator in Islamabad is coordinating UN and donor assistance to combat the effects of the drought, and assessing the damage caused by the drought in order to design a clear strategy for emergency measures and actions. 11. On 2 May, the UN system in Pakistan together with the UN Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan organized a joint meeting with donors and NGOs to share information on the drought situation, ongoing assistance and future support required in Pakistan and Afghanistan. 12. The UN Disaster Management Team (UNDMT) has decided to second staff to the Provincial Relief Coordination Committees to work in collaboration on contingency planning, data collection and delivery of relief services. 13. The UN system in Pakistan is currently compiling a list of commodities for supply to the affected families. In addition to a needs assessment mission which was fielded to the Khuzdar district of Balochistan province at the end of last March, a UN inter-agency assessment mission is currently ongoing in Balochistan and the UNDMT is planning a mission to Sindh province in order to formulate an action strategy in the near future. 14. OCHA is in close contact with the UN Resident Coordinator in Islamabad and will revert with further information if the situation warrants it. 15. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34 Fax: +41-22-917 00 23 In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10 Desk Officers: Ms. S. Metzner-Strack / Mr. R. Mueller / Mr. S. Matsuka Direct Tel. +41-22-917 21 44 / 31 31 / 40 34 Press contact: Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53 (in GVA) Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32 (in N.Y.) distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -