OCHA Situation Report No. 37
Pakistan: Earthquake
17 February 2006


Pakistan

While the focus of the international community remains on relief needs
during the rest of winter, increasing attention is placed on the
beginning of return and early recovery phases. During the reporting
period weather conditions remained relatively warm with some rainfall in
the Pakistan-Administered-Kashmir (PAK) region, and intermittent rain in
North Western Frontier Province (NWFP). The warm weather -not common at
this time of the year ? is very welcome, but it will impact on the
sanitation conditions in camps. Humanitarian agencies therefore continue
to carefully monitor and improve the sanitation conditions in the urban
and rural areas.

The priorities of humanitarian operations remain: (i) improving
sanitation conditions and the availability of safe drinking water; (ii)
stepping up health surveillance and monitoring systems; and (iii)
defining appropriate return strategies to complement and support the
Government of Pakistan (GOP)'s plans.

SITUATION OVERVIEW:

Security

This week's insecurity, mostly related to cartoon-related
manifestations, further hampered the delivery of assistance and
services. This slowed down coordination activities, the delivery of
assistance and transportation of services. Some of the humanitarian hubs
had to be temporarily shut down.

Return Strategy

A Sustainable Returns Taskforce (SRTF) was created by the Heads of
Clusters in Islamabad to support the development of a credible
Sustainable Returns Strategy - through the Cluster Approach - in support
of the Government of Pakistan. The SRTF covers issues of Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs), protection, and advocacy. It counts on
Operations/Logistics advisors from OCHA, UNHCR, Oxfam and IOM
respectively, and on a Protection Officer from NRC.

The SRTF is advising field clusters on the development and
implementation of a comprehensive strategy on the sustainable return,
resettlement and reintegration of IDPs, as a cross-cluster initiative.
The SRTF will visit current locations of displacement, travel return
routes and places of habitual residence, insofar as security and other
considerations permit. It aims to: identify IDP protection and
assistance needs; identify prospects for return and recovery; assess the
effectiveness of ongoing IDP activities; identify gaps in IDP
protection, assistance or coordination and propose recommendations for
improvement. The SRTF will ensure that the sustainable return strategy
dovetails into the 'Plan of Action from Relief to Recovery' and will
advocate with host authorities on protection concerns linked to return.

Return and movement of populations

The first spontaneous returns to Allai from planned camps in Batagram
District have been reported by NGOs and Quake Jumper teams in Allai.
While figures remain unclear, at least some 100 people seem to have
returned.

In Mansehra, agencies are preparing for the sustainable return of IDPs
to villages of origin with a planning figure of 166,000 persons. UNHCR
and the Regional Relief Commissioner (RRC) are asking partners to assist
returning families with food, non-food items (NFIs) and transportation.
A recent UNHCR survey has identified 1,500 vulnerable households that
will need special assistance during return.

In line with return, the camp management cluster led by UNHCR is
assisting in the identification of camps that are conducive to closure.
In NWFP, field teams have visited areas of origin to carry out needs
assessment and inspect the scale of damage on houses. The lack of
technical advisory services on how to repair and reconstruct houses was
identified as a key issue.

Information Management

Strategic Information Cell (SIC) update: The SIC is developing
cross-cluster maps combining indicators from Health, Emergency Shelter
and WATSAN. Under development are spreadsheet management tools that
allow direct data sharing between databases. This synergy produces
results which are limited to the above-mentioned clusters, as (active)
participation in the SIC from all clusters is still lacking.

The Integrated Monitoring Matrix (IMM) is slowly improving with clusters
refining their indicators and data collection.

Transition

An 'Action Plan from Relief to Recovery' is being prepared in Pakistan
as a 'UN Country Team/Inter-Agency Standing Committee' (UNCT/IASC)
document to help the Government translate existing pledges into concrete
contributions. It will focus on early recovery but will include
remaining relief needs beyond the end of the period covered by the
current Flash Appeal. This will be a field-driven exercise.

Coordination

Cluster coordination in Rawalakot is evolving with bi-weekly 'General
Coordination' Meetings as well as weekly shelter, health and water and
sanitation (WATSAN) cluster meetings. The need to strengthen
coordination in Poonch District remains a key priority.

Training

In Mansehra, the RedR-IHE and the Sphere Project conducted a workshop on
the humanitarian charter and minimum standards in disaster response.
Participants were briefed on and/or discussed minimum standards in
water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, food security, nutrition and
food aid, shelter, settlement and non-food items, as well as
participation issues in earthquake-affected areas.

In Bagh, IOM organized an Emergency Cluster Lessons Learnt Workshop on
16 February, with participants from national and international NGOs.

CLUSTER UPDATES

EMERGENCY SHELTER

1. There are no major gaps in the emergency shelter and the delivery of
tents to date: 866,304 tents (FRC), of which the Emergency Shelter
Cluster (ESC) reports deliveries of 472,842.

2. 388,245 temporary transitional shelters have been constructed to
date, of which 247,176 by PAKMIL. 3.1 million CGI sheets have been
distributed.

3. The equivalent of 6.1 million blankets will be distributed by
mid-February (this equates one quilt as two blankets).

4. In Muzaffarabad, the distribution of the DFID winterization kits
continued during the week, with a total of 5000 kits and 2500 tents in
Noora Seri Union Council distributed.

5. Shelter actors have for the last few weeks been shifting their focus
from Bagh District, considered to be relatively served, to Poonch
District, which has not yet been significantly addressed. After
crosschecking and validation with government authorities and other
actors in the area, an initial estimation that up to 10,000 families
could still be in need of assistance was revised to 3,640 homes (with at
least half being erected on a self-help basis). The PAKMIL and agencies
(IOM, Medair, NRSP, Help) are addressing these needs.

CAMP MANAGEMENT

6. The overall situation of camps is relatively stable in planned and
spontaneous camps administered by the camp management cluster. Due to
the fluidity in movements of the population, the number of camps
fluctuates between 27-31 planned, and 121-127 spontaneous camps in PAK
and NWFP.

7. Concurrent trends observed in movement of populations are reported as
follows: (i) Some returns to areas of origin, combined with 'go & see
visits' to assess conditions for return;  (ii) Arrival of new families
(not necessarily earthquake-affected) from other areas (mountains)
seeking employment opportunities or refuge in camps.

8. On 6 February, the army in Battagram handed over Banian camp to civil
authorities, with one army representative remaining in place to continue
monitoring the camp (however, with no interference in management
affairs). Maidan camp has been handed over entirely to the civil
administration.

9. As of 16 February, the CMC in Muzaffarabad reported 87 official camps
above 50 tents with a total population of 80,171, compared to 69,000
reported last week. The significant increase is due to the ongoing
registration of newly identified camps. During the reporting week, an
additional 11 camps were added to the list and, according to the Camp
Management Organization (CMO), the number of camps is still expected to
increase. Food is a concern in these camps.

WATER AND SANITATION

10. Agencies continue to tackle water and sanitation concerns in the
affected areas, with sanitation needs in particular being urgently
addressed.

11. In Muzaffarabad (urban), to date, 3,796 latrines have been installed
(against the target of 4,101 in the currently supported camps). Agencies
have been requested to make a quick assessment to find out how many
latrines are filling up as there is an urgent need for replacement. In
rural areas, UNICEF provided 22,000 latrine-slabs to be distributed by
the Local Government & Rural Development Department (LGRDD). As reported
by LGRDD, 1,800 families have already installed their latrines. The
families are also provided with either aqua tabs or pure sachets for
household water purification for three months. 1,900 families were also
provided with household water filtration kit.

12. In Namanpura camp in Bagh, solid waste collection and disposal is
becoming a problem. UNICEF and OXFAM are jointly discussing ways with
the Municipal Administrator to find a suitable way to solve this issue.
UNICEF and implementing partners distributed Neorex filters for turbid
and contaminated water sources and other NFIs in camps in Mang Bajri.

FOOD AND NUTRITION

13. Despite the grounding of UN flights due to Muharram and the cartoon
protests, WFP has reached 506,167 people so far this month. WFP has to
date (17 February) completed 51% of total (tonnage) requirement for
February.

HEALTH

14. The total number of reporting units in the earthquake-affected areas
this week was 185. A total of 153 reporting sites sent their
surveillance data, reporting a total of 98,379 consultations including
eight deaths.

15. Measles: Medecins du Monde (MDM) reportedly found 41 cases of
measles within three days. WHO investigated blood samples of five
suspected measles cases reported by MDM. The investigation revealed that
almost all camps have reported measles cases. In response, a mass
immunization campaign covering a target population of 4425 was
initiated.

16. The ICRC hospital in Muzaffarabad will close by the end of February
and the MASH hospital was handed over to PAKMIL on 15 February. MASH
will continue providing services as before under the staffing and
management of PAKMIL. The Turkish Red Crescent hospital was recently
reinforced by new staff and an orthopaedic surgeon.

17. WHO is continuing capacity-building support to Abbas hospital in
Muzaffarabad. Rehabilitation of three rooms in the gynaecological ward
has begun and should be completed by 20 February. A training of Lady
Health Supervisors was completed during the week as the gap of female
health workers continues to be bridged.

18. Training: UNFPA will support WHO in providing refresher courses to
health service providers by training the last three batches of lady
health visitors and female health technicians in Mansehra. As part of
the strategy to build local capacity of health care staff in the
district, two workshops on primary health care (PHC) and reproductive
health/maternal and child health (RH/MCH) have been conducted in
Mansehra.

19. Two vaccination campaigns including hepatitis A, hemophilus
influenzae B and EPI antigens have been initiated by the DHO with
support from UNICEF in Balakot and Rawalakot. The campaign is planned to
last for 25 days and the target group is children below five.

20. A joint vaccination campaign carried out in Shangla and Battagram in
support of WHO and UNICEF has resulted in the vaccination of 2944
children against measles along with other antigens.

EDUCATION

21. Of the 400,000 primary school-level children in the affected areas,
116,162 children have been enrolled in 893 schools (- an increase of
over 200 schools in a fortnight -), with support from UN agencies and
I/NNGOs.

22. To date, 4320 school-tents purchased locally by UNICEF have been
delivered. 6,500 tents from China are expected to arrive in the field by
mid-March, and a further 5,000 tents have been ordered from China.
UNICEF is planning a massive procurement of school supplies in light of
the 'Back-to-School Campaign'.

23. A teacher-training program for Master Trainers and teachers was
developed by the Directorate of Curriculum and Teacher Education (DCTE)
in NWFP with the support of UNESCO, UNICEF, ISCOS, and IRC among others.
The pilot 'Training of Trainers' (TOT) was conducted in January,
targeting 22 master trainers (15-NWFP, 7- PAK).

24. The Ministry of Education of PAK announced that the school year in
PAK would commence from 1 August. In Bagh, results from a spontaneous
camp assessment done by UNICEF on school-age children show that 93% of
the children are attending public or private schools near the camps.

PROTECTION

25. A number of surveys are ongoing to identify vulnerable groups in the
earthquake-affected areas. These include: (i) NRC needs assessment in
Battagram district; (ii) earthquake vulnerability assessment conducted
by the Population Council under the auspices of the Ministry of Social
Welfare (MSW) with the support of UNFPA and UNICEF; (iii) Save the
Children-UK child protection assessment in camps and rural areas, and
the registration (house-hold level) of spontaneous camps (50 or more
tents) by the Regional Relief Commissioner (RRC) in NWFP and Camp
Management Organization (CMO) in PAK with the support of UNHCR; and,
(iv)  TVO's data collection on vulnerable population in Mansehra
district supported by UNICEF.

26. UNHCR is in the process of identifying partner(s) who could provide
legal aid on legal issues of affected population.

27. Concern has been raised regarding marriage arrangements among IDPs
in camps in NWFP. The cluster agreed to alert camp managers to the risks
of early and forcible marriages. Organizations with more details on the
issue have been requested to share the information available.

28. More than 70,000 hygiene kits have already been distributed by UNFPA
in their plan of distributing a total of 200,000 hygiene kits to women
and young girls living in camps in Mansehra, Muzaffarabad, Bagh and in
Islamabad through the Lady Health Workers program.

LOGISTICS

29. From the start of its operations, UNHAS has airlifted 14,227 MT of
food items, 3,657 MT NFIs and 27,799 passengers. The deliveries from the
hubs to extended delivery points from 6 to 12 February amount to 4,525
MT, out of which 1,024 MT were delivered by air.

30. 20 UNHAS helicopters are currently operational. In addition, UNHAS
tasks 4 US, 2 Australian S-70 and 2 NATO helicopters on a day-to-day
basis bringing the total air assets under UNHAS to 28.

31. The lack of necessary additional funds for UNHAS operations has led
to some cuts in the number of passenger flights (no flights during
weekends), and even more serious prioritization of movement of goods
into the affected areas.

WEATHER AND ACCESSIBILTY

32. During the reporting week, the weather has been relatively warm
considering the time of year. This has allowed delivery of assistance
with hindrances only caused by the security situation. (See situation
overview/update above).

GENERAL INFORMATION

33. All detailed cluster information (meeting minutes, assessments,
contact information etc.) is being posted on www.un.org.pk.

34. 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).

35. Contact details of focal points for information on in-kind and cash
contributions can be found at http://www.un.org.pk/earthquake05/ .

36. 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.

37. Regular news on Pakistan is available from IRIN via the website
www.IRINnews.org and direct e-mail subscription. Agencies wishing to
contribute news article suggestions, press releases and reports with
IRIN should send them to the IRIN Asia office: IRINasia@IRINnews.org,
Tel +90-312 454 1177.

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
  Mr. Guido Galli, direct Tel. +41-22-9173171

Press contact:
  GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 2653
  NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. + 1-917 367 5126


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