IRIN
PAKISTAN: House-to-house survey kicks off in quake zone
8 April 2006


[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United 
Nations]

ISLAMABAD, 8 April (IRIN) - As part of its massive reconstruction 
effort, Pakistan's Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation 
Authority (ERRA) on Friday started a house-to-house survey in 
quake-affected areas to assess damage for subsequent house rebuilding 
grants to some 600,000 families before the next winter sets in.

Over 650 teams have been established to survey the houses over the next 
ten days across nine quake-affected districts, including five in North 
West Frontier Province (NWFP) and four in Pakistani-administered 
Kashmir.

Quake survivors have been advised to stay close to the site of their 
damaged or destroyed homes while ERRA teams visit the areas. The ERRA 
will provide individual payouts of some US $1,250 per damaged house and 
$3,920 for completely destroyed houses as compensation to displaced 
people currently living in tents and other makeshift arrangements.

According to a joint assessment by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and 
the World Bank, some 84 percent of all homes were damaged or destroyed 
in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, while in NWFP that figure stood at 36 
percent after the powerful quake ripped through the region on 8 October 
last year.

Meanwhile, since the Pakistani authorities announced the start of camp 
closures on 10 March, over 64,000 earthquake survivors have returned 
home from relief settlements with the help of international agencies.

However, Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the office of the United Nations 
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the capital, Islamabad, said 
that many others had left on their own to rebuild their homes with 
winter over.

The deadline for NWFP camp closures has been postponed from 31 March to 
10 April, given bad weather and poor road conditions, while the cut-off 
date for camps in Pakistani-administered Kashmir stands at 25 April. 
However, according to relief officials, the return process was expected 
to pick up in the coming week as the presence of the head of the family 
at the quake-affected site was mandatory to be eligible for the ERRA 
housing reconstruction grant.

As of 7 April, according to UNHCR, about 30 camps have been closed, 
including 25 in NWFP and another five in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, 
leaving nearly 87,000 people in over 120 quake relief camps with 50 or 
more tents.

To coordinate the house reconstruction, 11 Housing Reconstruction 
Centres (HRC) have been established across the quake zone. The centres 
would provide training and technical assistance to ensure safe building 
practices in compliance with earthquake resistant construction 
guidelines and standards.

The HRC hubs would also have a permanent display of appropriate building 
techniques and training materials, as well as displays on housing 
related issues such as water supply, sanitation, environment, health and 
hygiene.

Meanwhile, an information campaign was now under way to inform people 
about how the government plans to assist them upon their return.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been providing 
medical checks and transportation assistance to the returnees. As part 
of its efforts to make returns sustainable, UNHCR has been providing 
vocational training in some camps where women learn skills like 
embroidery and sewing, while men have learnt earthquake-proof masonry 
and carpentry.


IRIN-Asia
Tel: +90 312 454 1177
Fax: +90 312 495 4166
Email: IrinAsia@IRINnews.org


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