Pakistan: Earthquake - OCHA-26: 02-Dec-05
OCHA Situation Report No. 26
South Asia Earthquake
2 December 2005
Pakistan
This situation report gives a special emphasis on the information
provided in the 90-day 'Winter Plan' prepared in Islamabad.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
Humanitarian Update
Downward migration from highland areas continues sporadically although
actual numbers are difficult to assess. There is an on-going concern
over if there is sufficient capacity to accommodate populations arriving
in planned camps, and if there are appropriate conditions, particularly
in self-settled camps.
Over the last week, the main camps in Batagram and Kohistan districts
have accommodated 2,440 new arrivals. Batagram 1 camp, hosting 3,000
persons, has been closed for new arrivals, as it was flooded after heavy
rain. Due to limited assistance provided to affected areas in Kohistan,
shelter, blankets and food are critical needs.
According to the Military there are 139,451 people living in camps in
Pakistan Administered Kashmir and NWFP, as of today. However, if one
adds the FRC figures for Punjab and Islamabad onto the figures of the
Provincial Governments, the camp population is approximately 206.500.
It is now estimated that 350,000?380,000 people will remain in remote
areas (between 5,000-7,000 ft) throughout the winter. Supply of
sufficient food and shelter materials is thus essential to enable
survival of people who wish to remain in remote, high altitude villages
over the winter and to minimize massive population movements to lowland
areas.
The number of diarrhoeal cases has decreased and no deaths were
reported, nevertheless, clean water and appropriate sanitation remain to
be major concerns. There is also an increase in reported Acute
Respiratory Infection cases.
UNJLC and various partners are developing a comprehensive road map,
which will be updated regularly. The Federal Relief Commission (FRC)
reports that 95% of roads in the affected areas have been cleared.
However, continuing seismic activity, heavy rains, and snow have been
causing landslides that temporarily are blocking roads.
Delivery and pre-positioning of relief assistance was impeded by bad
weather conditions that grounded air transport for nearly two days.
Funding
Committed contributions to the UN Flash Appeal, as of 2 December, have
reached US$160 million (29%) out of the US$550 million requested. A
total of US$64.5 million has been pledged. This brings the total
contributions and pledges to US$224 million (40% of the requested
amount).
Casualties
The official Government estimates of casualties from the Federal Relief
Commission, as of 1 December, have slightly increased to 73,331 dead and
69,392 seriously injured.
THE WINTER PLAN
Overview
A 90-day 'Winter Plan' has been prepared in Islamabad that outlines
Cluster response plans and needs of the populations in the affected
areas during the winter. It builds on the response already undertaken,
and the achievements in this, eight weeks since the disaster. The Plan
has been developed within the thematic Clusters of the international
community, including representatives of the Government. It will be
reviewed on a monthly basis and revised as necessary. The overall
priorities identified are:
- Ensure the continued provision of assistance and support for an
estimated 350,000?380,000 people who are expected to remain in their
homes in remote (high-elevation) locations.
- Support the provision and management of sufficient and appropriate
camp accommodation, where required, and assistance to populations at
lower elevations. The potential camp population in planned and
self-settled camps for this period is estimated at 250,000 people.
- Ensure that the protection and assistance needs of particularly
vulnerable populations are met, including women and children, orphans,
unaccompanied and separated children, those affected mentally and
physically by the earthquake, the newly-widowed, single-parent headed
households, and the elderly.
- Continued assessment and monitoring of the changing situation,
vulnerabilities, capacities and needs for continued contingency planning
and response to emerging needs.
Key Deliveries for October and November
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|Emergency Shelter |- 23,499 self-help shelter kits have been |
| |distributed and tens of thousands of |
| |transitional shelters have been built by |
| |Pakistan Military to benefit over 420,000 |
| |people remaining above 5,000ft. |
| |- 410,000 tents distributed. Ann additional |
| |80,000 in the Government pipeline. |
| |- 3.1 million blankets distributed. |
| |Additional 1.3 million in the pipeline. |
| |- 17,600 stoves installed (additional 30,000|
| |in the GOP pipeline and 38,706 in non-GOP |
| |pipeline). |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|Camp Management |- 30 planned camps accommodating 36,000 |
| |people; new sites identified. |
| |- Technical guidance has been provided on |
| |camp management. |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|Logistics |- Common logistics operation has been |
| |sustained in close coordination with the |
| |FRC, Pakistan Military and other Military |
| |actors in support of the relied effort. |
| |- A "Joint Operations Centre" has been |
| |established to task UNHAS; Pak Mil; NATO and|
| |US Military air assets. |
| |- 21 UNHAS tasked helicopters available to |
| |fly relief cargo and personnel. |
| |- 40 transit storage tents at all hubs; and |
| |6 at forward delivery hubs. |
| |- Free transport ex supply origins to hubs |
| |and forward delivery points available to the|
| |humanitarian community (272 trucks, 95 light|
| |trucks) to complement the GOP's own |
| |transport assets. |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|Food and Nutrition|- 3,406 MTs has been delivered to more than |
| |200,000 beneficiaries in remote areas. |
| |- Nearly 1 million have been reached through|
| |general food distribution. |
| |- 100,000 children aged 6 months to 5 yrs |
| |have received Vitamin A supplements |
| |- 200 MTs seeds and fertilizer has been |
| |distributed in Muzaffarabad, Bagh and |
| |Rawalkot. |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|Health |- 16 field hospitals remain in place. |
| |- 30 new emergency health kits have been |
| |distributed, providing basic drugs/equipment|
| |for 300,000 people for 3 months. |
| |- Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) and 6 |
| |response teams are in place. |
| |- 300,000 children, of a targeted 600,000, |
| |have been vaccinated. |
| |- 10 Mobile Service Units are in operation |
| |providing obstetric care. |
| |- 200,000 hygiene kits distributed to women.|
| |- 9 mental health teams have been mobilized.|
| |- 12 of 23 camps in Muzaffarabad now have |
| |primary health care. |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|Water & Sanitation|- Almost 90% of water needs are now covered |
| |in planned camps. |
| |- Muzaffarabad reservoirs have been repaired|
| |and 50% of water treatment plants are now |
| |functioning. |
| |- 2,500 of targeted 4,000 latrines have been|
| |installed. |
| |- 300,000 of 1.5 million people targeted for|
| |hygiene education/kits/messages have |
| |received services and material. |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|Education |- A total of 369 schools have been opened, |
| |allowing more than 15,000 children to resume|
| |their interrupted education. |
| |- 145 school tents have been provided |
| |- 2,040 'School in a Box' kits procured and |
| |are being distributed. |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|Protection |- Over 10,000 children in camps in |
| |Muzaffarabad and Mansehra have been |
| |registered. |
| |- 37 children have been reunited with their |
| |families. |
| |- 11 child-friendly spaces have been |
| |established |
| |- 16 safe play areas are available for 1024 |
| |children in Muzaffarabad and Bagh. |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|Early Recovery |- An Early Recovery Framework has been |
| |prepared as a guide for transitional |
| |activities. |
| |- The Cluster has supported shelter efforts |
| |through distribution of 10,802 winterized |
| |tents and 9,636 kitchen sets, benefiting |
| |10,802 families. |
| |- Technical assistance is being provided on |
| |building seismic resilient shelters for |
| |affected families about 2,000 ft. |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
|IT/ Communication |- Basic security telecommunications |
| |infrastructure and data connectivity |
| |established in 3 locations (Muzaffarabad, |
| |Mansehra and Balakot). |
|------------------+--------------------------------------------|
Key Priority Needs for December
Shelter: Provision of self-help shelter repair kits, related non-food
items for heating and thermal protection such as blankets, stoves, and
CGI sheeting, and winterization of tents.
Food and Nutrition: Establishment of pre-fabricated storage depots,
helipads, and sustain airlifts to food insecure families.
Supplementary and therapeutic feeding for those in need.
Camp Management: Ensure the effective management of planned and
self-settled camps, improvement in sanitation facilities and provision
of basic assistance, and increase the capacity to house additional IDPs.
Water and Sanitation: Provision of appropriate sanitation facilities and
hygiene education in all planned and self-settled camps. Restoration and
maintenance of the water supply in urban centres and areas of high
population density.
Health: Disease surveillance, outbreak management and the provision of
primary health care; female medical staff.
Education: Sourcing of winterized tents for school structures and the
provision of essential teaching materials.
Protection: Registration of unaccompanied/ separated children and
single-women headed households.
Early Recovery: Information and communication outreach on the
entitlements of affected populations; environmental guidelines for
rubble removal and recycling; policy decisions on land issues; capacity
development of local institutions; skills training.
IT/Communications: All common locations are telecommunications MOSS
compliant and have date connectivity.
Logistics Operation: Maintaining road and air services for the delivery
of assistance; establishing final assistance points for remote areas.
CLUSTER UPDATES
Emergency Shelter
1. Although it is not clear what proportion of tents have been supplied
within the 5,000-7,000 feet zone, the overall coverage in this zone can
be estimated to be over 90%.
2. Currently all the available winterised tents in the world are being
used in Pakistan. The global shortage means that up to 85% of all tents
that have been delivered are non-winterized. These non-winterised tents
are being re-inforced with extra warm blankets, plastic sheeting and
other insulation material. There is an urgent need for supply of
additional blankets and other personal insulation materials, as the
requirement for blankets is only 28% covered/met.
3. There have been many tens of thousands of emergency shelters built by
the international community, Army and civil society. The humanitarian
community alone has constructed some 20,000 winterised shelters,
Norwegian NGOs alone have built 8,159 winterised tents in just one area.
The Pakistani military has built well in excess of 80,000 shelters.
4. As the winter has already started, any delay in delivering corrugated
galvanized iron (CGI) sheeting (essential in order to provide access to
'one warm room' requested by GOP policy) could cause a significant rise
in population movements from high altitude areas to lower grounds, and
moreover, increase the risk of people dying as a result of cold. By the
end of November, supplies are limited to 150,000 by the Pakistan
Military and approximately 60,000 by the international humanitarian
community.
5. The Emergency Shelter Cluster is carrying out a 'Shelter Security'
survey to determine whether people are well supplied with winterised
shelter, food, blankets and stoves. Only the population living below
5,000 ft. will be taken into account. Teams will conduct a
village-by-village assessment. Results are expected the 8th of December.
Camp Management
6. The main challenge in identifying new camps in Pakistan Administered
Kashmir, Bagh and Muzaffarabad, is that land in not available. The
search for new sites, however, continues. In the NWFP, a number of sites
have been identified by the Government, but rejected on the basis of
non-viability or lack of basic infrastructure to support (roads).
Logistics
7. Regular logistics planning and information sharing with all the
Clusters is crucial to coordinate, facilitate the pooling of assets, to
confront logistics bottlenecks and to coordinate operational planning.
8. The Swiss expert on slope stabilization, deployed through OCHA EES,
continued his assessment and cooperation with the Pakistan Army Corps of
Engineers and civil authorities. Aerial assessments have been carried
out in Jhelum, Neelum and Kagan Valleys. In the upper Jhelum Valley, a
large landslide has formed a dam across the valley, creating two lakes,
threatening Hattjan City and the valley below. The situation is closely
monitored and the Army Corps of Engineers is currently designing a
spillway on the bigger lake to lower safely the water table. The hazard
will be critical during the snowmelt in spring.
9. In the Neelum Valley rockslides and landslides have severely blocked
the main and secondary roads. The army has done an enormous job to
preliminarily clear the roads except for two stretches of approximately
3 km each. The first one just at the entrance of the valley near
Muzafffarabad, called the Batmang-slide and the second one East of
Nauseri, near the Indian border. Both suffer still severe rockfall and
slides. Reportedly, army staff, workers and drivers of caterpillars have
been killed at this spot. The road has been opened for national
transport during daytime, but remains closed for UN staff. For the rest
of the valley, one lane is cleared and can be passed with some
difficulties by local trucks and busses. On some bridges, reinforcement
is under way. Most bridges are in good shape, but the abutments suffer
the worst damage.
10. In the Kagan Valley, and in particular near Kawai and North of
Mahandri active slides are causing serious problems. South of Kagan,
there is also an active debris flow/slide and blocking the road.
Food and Nutrition
11. The planned target to pre-position one month supply of food for
200,000 people in remote areas was increased to 387,000, necessitating
daily supply versus pre-stocking in most locations. The pre-positioning
of food was constrained owing to the need to prioritize non-food items,
primarily shelter in November.
12. The size and food rations of general food distribution, targeting 1
million food insecure people in the affected areas, varied significantly
in November, and is now being adjusted and made uniform. Only 30% of
tent camps were supplied owing to existence of stocks from voluntary
organizations and private sources. Funding is urgently required to
increase the scale and regularity of food aid deliveries.
Health
13. In order to provide primary health services to people living in
remote areas, additional funds and health partners are required. The
need for provision of essential health care for 150,000 beneficiaries in
camps is challenged by lack of partners and continued development of
spontaneous camps. Maintenance of mobile units is constrained by lack of
trained staff. The coverage is, however, sufficient for the current
needs.
14. WHO investigated a rumour of a measles outbreak in Balakot and
reports that the situation is under control. The national immunization
days polio campaign has started, which also targets most of the affected
areas and camps.
15. A Global Fund mission has visited Muzaffarabad to discuss support TB
program revitalization in the area.
Water and Sanitation
16. With 2,500 latrines installed out of the 4,000 needed, there is a
40% gap, which is mainly caused by: (1) insufficient quantities and
improper quality of slabs available, (2) lack of digging capacity, (3)
scarcity of land and in camps and difficult soil (rock) and (4)
maintenance and cleaning problems.
17. Ensuring hygiene though hygiene messages has been constrained by
lack of capacity, limited access and cultural resistance to changing
hygiene behavior, causing only 20% coverage.
Protection
18. One of the challenges regarding registration of camp populations and
vulnerable groups, is lack of formalized agreement with organizations
managing the camps.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. All detailed cluster information (meeting minutes, assessments,
contact information etc.) is being posted on www.un.org.pk.
2. The latest information on projects and funding for the Flash Appeal,
and for the emergency overall, can be found on the Financial Tracking
Service
(http://ocha.unog.ch/fts/reports/reportlist.asp?section=CE&record_ID=688).
Further information on earthquake appeals and funding is available on
ReliefWeb
(http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc105?OpenForm&rc=3&emid=EQ-2005-000174-PAK).
3. Contact details of focal points for information on in-kind and cash
contributions can be found at http://www.un.org.pk/earthquake05/
4. OCHA will revert with further information as it becomes available.
This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int.
Tel.: +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:
Ms. Merete Johansson, direct Tel. +41-22-9171694
Ms. Kirsten Gelsdorf, direct Tel. +41-79 444 4162
Ms. Rebecca Richards, direct Tel. +41-22 917 3183
Press contact:
GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 2653
NUC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. + 1-917 367 5126
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International web: www.cidi.org
Disaster Information listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
South Asia Earthquake www.cidi.org/incident/sasia-05j