OCHA Situation Report
South Asia Earthquake
Pakistan
22 April 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Summary & Statistics

By the 22nd April more than half of the families in IDP camps have 
returned to their places of origin. The return pace and dynamics 
continue to vary considerably between NWFP and PAK. In NWFP hubs 
Batagram and Mansehra the return movements are almost finished with 90% 
of families returned, and the main concern being the support to the 
residual caseloads. A voluntary and slow return movement pace is noted 
with only 30% of families returning in PAK's Bagh and Muzaffarabad. This 
is attributed mainly to the poor weather conditions and the subsequent 
landslides on valley roads which render most transportation difficult at 
best. In Islamabad IDP camps return movements continue through 
unorganized and in an ad-hoc manner. Cross-hubs the need for a 
eligibility criteria on who from the residual caseloads will access the 
serviced consolidated camps is required and being prepared.

|------------+----------+-------------+------------+-------------+----------|
|Hub         |   Cum #  |    cum #    | # families |# individuals|   % of   |
|            | families | individuals |  before 1  |  before 1   | families |
|            | returned |  returned   |   March    |    March    | returned |
|------------+----------+-------------+------------+-------------+----------|
|Bagh        |       318|        1,608|       1,107|        5,892|       29%|
|------------+----------+-------------+------------+-------------+----------|
|Batagram    |     3,497|       21,649|       3,811|       23,688|       92%|
|------------+----------+-------------+------------+-------------+----------|
|Mansehra    |     6,956|       38,239|       8,025|       42,658|       87%|
|------------+----------+-------------+------------+-------------+----------|
|Muzaffarabad|     5,497|       31,793|      17,143|      120,000|       32%|
|------------+----------+-------------+------------+-------------+----------|
|Total       |    16,268|       93,289|      30,086|      192,238|       54%|
|------------+----------+-------------+------------+-------------+----------|


Priorities in the Hubs

Bagh

The District Government finally announced that Namanpura could be the 
camp for the residual caseload, although only verbally and only for a 
period of one month. The landowners of the camp land, however, refused 
to provide usage of the land past the 25th April and only could be 
convinced to allow the remaining 20 families in the camp to stay until 
the 15th May.

The District Government has announced its intention to negotiate a 
similar extension of the deadline to all other camps. This grace period 
up until the 15th May will be used to identify an alternative residual 
caseload camp.

The pace of the assisted return process has increased with the deadline 
of the 25th April for the camps to close approaching.

The military authorities have not yet provided clearance for the air 
operation of assistance to Azad Bara, a principle area of return.

The Deputy Commissioner has been arrested on chargers relating to the 
misallocation of land when he served as a revenue officer a number of 
years ago. His arrest has seriously derailed commitments made by the 
District Government which will now be hard to follow up with replacement 
officials who are busy protesting his detention.

Batagram

Policy clarifications are being sought with regard to continued UN 
assistance to IDPs in both the official and unofficial "residual 
caseload" camps

Mansehra

Readiness of transitional sites; Meira, Kashtra and Siran Sialkot Camps

Standardised criteria for access to transitional camps - must include 
those made landless by the earthquake

Balakot red-zone and re-location of town

Muzaffarabad

1,030 families returned assisted by IOM & CMO in reporting week. 
Nonetheless return movements are much smaller than originally envisaged.

Main valleys; Neelum, Jhelum and Leepa continue to be closed for big 
return movements due to landslides and snow.

IOM reflect that an average of 50-60% movement takes place from each 
list supplied by CMO. CMO note that this is voluntary movement and IDPs 
will not be forced if they change their mind.

CMO repeat to ALL agencies that no distributions should take place in 
the camps until the consolidated camps are set-up. Distributions can 
easily disrupt the return momentum and create misconceptions of future 
ones for the IDPs.


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