OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Pakistan - Rains / Snowfall
15 February 2005


Approximately 500,000 people affected

This situation report is based on information received from the office 
of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan.

Situation

1.  Heavy snowfall and rains over the past two weeks have now been 
followed by another wet spell further adding to the damages that have 
already taken place in Northern Areas, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Northwest 
Frontier Province (NWFP), Balochistan and parts of Punjab Province. 
These fresh spells of rains in the affected areas especially in 
Balochistan, NWFP and AJK have adversely affected the relief efforts and 
increased the miseries of the affected populations.

2.  In Pasni Tehsil (Balochistan), Shadi Kaur Dam burst after more than 
two weeks of heavy rains. According to the local authorities, the number 
of deaths is 82 and the missing persons have been rescued successfully 
from the villages heavily affected by the dam burst and breaches. Five 
villages and five wards of Pasni Township and six villages with a 
population of more than 3,000 in Turbat have been severely affected and 
many houses destroyed. According to official sources, 25 persons have 
been killed by rains/floods in Turbat, 11 in Chaman, 9 in Pishin, 7 in 
Awaran and 10 in Jaffarabad and Naseerabad. 25 more persons were killed 
in Northern Balochistan due to floods caused by the fresh rainy spell in 
the province. Some 40,000 acres of standing crops is considered 
completely destroyed. The floods have also badly damaged nearly 40 
kilometers of the Mekran Coastal Highway and partially damaged more than 
250 kilometers at different points rendering the highway unfit for 
vehicular traffic. There are fresh reports of damages to road network 
and bridges causing disruptions and suspension of traffic to the 
affected areas.

3.  Heavy rains have also badly affected adjoining districts and 
townships including Ormara, Bela, Awaran, Kaetch, Turbat and areas 
around Dasht River. There are fresh reports of damages in Jhal Magsi 
area and increased water flows in the river from central parts to the 
coastal zone with impact on the bridges and destruction/damages to mud 
houses and small earthen dams built on self help basis by the 
communities.  There are reports of nearly half a million people being 
badly affected by heavy rains and flood with estimates of four thousand 
families being without shelter.

4.  As many as 46 persons have been reported to be killed as a result of 
avalanches in Azad Jammu and Kashmir region. 12 bodies have been 
recovered and injured rescued by helicopters for treatment to health 
facilities in Muzaffarabad. Search is still continuing for the rest of 
the people who remain buried under the avalanches.

5.  There have been reports of at least 21 more deaths while 33 are 
missing as a result of avalanches in Mansehra and Kohistan districts of 
NWFP.

6.  On 12 February, a huge avalanche hit at least four houses in 
Kohistan district as a result of which at least 42 persons were buried 
alive. These persons have been killed in Dir, Swat, Mansehra, 
Abbottabad, Battagram, Malakand and Mardan districts of North West 
Frontier Province.  Hazard winter conditions have paralysed daily life 
in most parts of Abbottabad, Mansehra districts and Swat region, with 
the local population cut off as both road network and communication 
system are still blocked. Electricity remains cuts off to many of the 
affected regions. Highway Department and Pakistan Army are reported to 
have deployed heavy equipment to clear road blockages caused by heavy 
snow but the continuing rains and snow are hampering the work.  There 
are reports of massive losses to mud houses and people becoming without 
shelter. Assessment of the damages is not possible at the moment as the 
communication network is inoperative in the badly affected areas and 
helicopters unable to fly due to the continuing bad weather.

7.  Eight members of a family were reported killed as a result of 
avalanches in Astore Valley in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The 
avalanches also destroyed more than 35 houses and cattle sheds in the 
valley.

8.  In the Broghal and Yarkhoon valleys of Chitral District (Northern 
Areas), some 4,000 vulnerable persons are completely cut off and 
isolated as a result of continuous snowfall since December 2004. While 
in Punjab, a number of houses have collapsed and large number of persons 
reported injured.

9.  42 soldiers of the Pakistan Army were trapped in Khyber Agency on 10 
February due to heavy snowfall. 16 of them have been rescued while the 
remaining 26 are still missing and search of the missing soldiers 
continuing without further success.

National Response

10.  The Prime Minister visited the affected areas of NWFP yesterday and 
announced a compensation package for the affected population indicating 
payment of Rs. 100,000 to the family of each deceased person and Rs. 
50,000 to each injured. He also assured that the Government would be 
undertaking steps to alleviate the suffering of the victims.

11.  The Chief Minister of the NWFP also announced a relief package of 
Rs. 58 million for the victims of the province and has approached the 
Federal Government for an emergency grant of Rs. 100 million.

12.  The President of Pakistan visited Balochistan and toured the 
affected areas in Pasni and Gawadar. He announced a special package for 
the affected areas and assured that each bereaved family would get a 
cash compensation of Rs. 100,000. The package also includes compensation 
to the injured with serious and minor injuries as well as interest free 
long term loans to the victims by the financial institutions for 
rehabilitation of their livelihoods.

13.  Over 4,000 personnel from the Pakistan Army, Navy, Coast Guards and 
FC are continuing search and rescue and relief operation in Pasni and 
other affected regions of Balochistan. The Government Authorities in 
Balochistan have established an emergency cell in the Chief Minister 
Secretariat to closely monitor the situation. Due to the disruption of 
communications in the affected areas limited information has been 
received and efforts are being made to obtain full information of the 
losses.

14.  Emergency Relief Cell of the Federal Government has rushed two 
plane loads of relief supplies to Pasni and Gawadar. The items include 
300 tents, 4,000 blankets, 200 anti-snake venom vials and water 
purification tablets. Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has rushed 
500 tents and 700 blankets from Quetta to the affected area. 40 tones of 
food items are being sent by PRCS from Islamabad via Karachi by road. 
PRCS has also dispatched two truckloads of relief goods for NWFP 
comprising of blankets, tents, kitchen utensils, clothing, drinking 
water and food items. A similar consignment has also been dispatched 
Azad Kashmir for distribution to the affected populations. 7 helicopters 
and C-130 planes are being used for rescue and relief activities. Two 
more C-130s carrying tents, blankets, warm clothes and foodstuff 
provided by PRCS and other sources arrived at Gawadar airport.

15.  A Joint Assessment Mission comprising of members from Islamic 
Relief-UK, OXFAM, Concern and MSF Holland has submitted its initial 
flood assessment report for Gawadar. The Mission was not able to get a 
clear picture as it could not visit all the affected areas but has 
stressed on the immediate need for food items, clean water, tents and 
blankets. According to the mission, contradictory information about the 
damages was available from different sources and it would take at least 
3-4 days for the situation to become clear.

International Response

16.  The Government of Pakistan has not requested international 
assistance at this stage. However, the Federal Government has shown 
inclination to welcome help from bilateral and multilateral partners 
including the United Nations. The UN Rapid Assessment Mission to 
Balochistan led by UNICEF and comprising of experts from WFP, WHO and 
UNDP has assembled in Lasbela. The second meeting of the UN Disaster 
Management Team (UNDMT) chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator was held 
on 14 February to review the situation and it has been agreed to also 
rush UN Rapid Assessment Missions to NWFP and AJK in order to cover all 
the affected areas in the country. The Mission for NWFP led by WHO left 
this morning for Peshawar and had meetings with the concerned Provincial 
Officials. UNICEF, WFP and UNDP are also joining this mission. UNFPA is 
leading the UN Rapid Needs Assessment Mission for AJK with participation 
from the other three UN Agencies and Islamic Relief which has a presence 
in the region.

17.  UNICEF Pakistan has delivered today, a truckload of relief items at 
Lasbela for distribution to the victims in the adjoining areas. This 
consignment comprises of 110 cartons of emergency food rations 
(containing high energy biscuits), 15,000 water tabs, 500 bars of toilet 
soap, 500 packets of soap for clothes, 1,000 jerry cans (20 litres), 300 
plastic buckets (8 litres), 1,200 sweaters, 2,000 woollen blankets, 25 
cartons of nerox water filters, 2 basic health kits (for 10,000 
population for three months) and 200 tarpaulin sheets (2 x 2 m). Another 
consignment comprising of 110 cartons of emergency food rations 
(containing high energy biscuits), 15,000 water tabs, 500 pieces of 
water filter cloth (1 x 1m), 500 bars of toilet soap, 500 packets of 
soap for clothes, 1,000 jerry cans (20 litres), 300 plastic buckets (8 
litres), 1,200 sweaters, 2,000 woollen blankets, 25 cartons of nerox 
water filters, 2 basic health kits (for 10,000 population for three 
months) and 200 tarpaulin sheets (2 x 2 m) is being dispatched today by 
sea from Karachi to Gawadar.  For provision of relief to the affected 
populations of Swat in NWFP, UNICEF is in the process of sending a 
consignment containing 1,000 woollen blankets, 200 sweaters, 100 bars of 
hand soap, 100 packets of soap for clothes, 1 basic health kit (for 
10,000 population for three months) and 100 tarpaulin sheets (2 x 2m).

18.  UNHCR has agreed to contribute US$ 20,000 in the form of tents and 
other shelter items which will be delivered to the victims in Pasni and 
Gawadar

19.  WHO will contribute US$ 25,000 worth of emergency medical supplies 
for the affected populations.

20.  UNESCO is contributing a sum of US$ 25,000 in support to the 
education facilities damaged by the floods in Balochistan.

21.  UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has 
increased its contribution through UNDP Islamabad by additional US$ 
20,000, to a total amount of US$ 50,000. The international community is 
being kept in picture and would be thoroughly briefed on receipt of the 
UN Assessment Reports from the field.  The Office of the UN Resident 
Coordinator in Pakistan is monitoring the situation and is in close 
contact with the authorities concerned at the Federal, Provincial and 
District levels and would continue to review the situation on regular 
basis. The next meeting of the UNDMT would be taking place on Wednesday 
16 February 2005.

22.  OCHA is in close contact with the Office of the UN Resident 
Coordinator in Pakistan and will revert with further information as 
required.

23.  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
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

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

Desk Officers:
   Mr. Dusan Zupka
     Direct Tel. +41-22-917-1645

Press contact:
   GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs,  direct Tel. + 41-22-917 2653
   NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker,  direct Tel. +1-917-8921679


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