OCHA Situation Report No. 7
Afghanistan - Earthquake
30 March 2002


This report is based on information provided by the On-site Operations
Coordination Centre (OSOCC) in Nahrin (Baghlan Province, Afghanistan):

Overall Situation

1.  In general, the emergency phase is over, although a few outlying
locations still need to be further assessed to verify whether any unmet
needs remain.  The level of destruction is as reported in previous
situation reports (please refer to Situation Reports 1-6, also available
on Reliefweb). Many people in villages with no or only limited damage to
their houses are still staying outside fearing that their houses might
still collapse, not least due to continued tremors.


Assistance and Sectoral Updates

2.  Relief agencies feel comfortable that all areas are under control, and
that all emergency assistance will be delivered in the next few days. The
distribution of NFIs continues and by 29 March, items for 14,000 families
had already been delivered or were en route. Items mainly include:
tents, blankets, matrasses, plastic sheeting, clothing, shoes, kitchen
sets, jerrycans, hygiene kits, and soap.

3.  The overall planning figure remains 20,000 families, although
assistance thus far is considered to have covered the fast majority of
emergency needs.

4.  As for food assistance, consignments of mixed monthly rations are on
the way to be distributed to 9,000 families. In the next few days, a total
of approximately 23,000 families will have been covered, which represents
the total number determined through WFP/VAM recently. Thus, targetted
families are the same as before the earthquake, the difference being that
distribution has been pushed forward.

5.  In the health sector, the emergency phase is considered over. The
steady stream of earthquake victims seeking treatment has come to a hold
and most patients seen are routine cases. As part of a slightly longer
term approach, health agencies are collecting data on measles and polio
incidence.  An EMERCOM / Russia special field hospital arrived in Nahrin
on Friday 29 March.

6.  The current water supply arrangements and systems are adequate to meet
needs of an emergency nature. Seven water distribution sites have been
established covering 14 villages that are considered particularly
vulnerable.  Five out of the seven sites will be up and running on
Saturday 30 March. However, in general, the earthquake affected area is
not well supplied with clean water during normal times, a situation which
has been exacerbated by the continued drought conditions in the area.
Therefore, actors in this sector will also explore required medium and
longer term measures.

7.  As part of an exercise to assess the longer-term reconstruction needs,
27 six-person teams from Afghan government institutions are being deployed
throughout the affected zone to undertake a more thorough assessment of
the damage.


Various

8.  Two relief trucks were involved in accidents on Friday 29 March,
leading to one fatal casualty and two injured.

9.  The UNDAC team is on site since two days and supports the UNOCHA team
in the affected area in response coordination activities.

10.  OCHA is in close contact with UNOCHA Offices in Afghanistan and will
revert with further information, as it becomes available.

11.  OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be
used for immediate relief assisstance, in coordination with relavent
organizations in the United Nations system. For banking details please
contact the desk officers indicated below.  OCHA provides donor
governments with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the
utilization of the funds contributed.

12.  This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int.  Maps relating to the earthquakes can be found
on the Website of the Afghanistan Information Management Service (AIMS) at
http://www.hic.org.pk. The Virtual OSOCC (accessible through ReliefWeb)
also provides information on the earthquake and can be used for
information sharing.


Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
  Mr. Ivo Freijsen, Mr. Anvar Munavvarov
  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1695/1669

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
  (NYC)  Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32


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