Earthquake Update Pakistan December 08, 2005-January 4, 2006
By Shafqat Munir
Situation
The harsh winter, rain and snow hit the earthquake areas both in Azad Kashmir and Hazara Division during last week causing hardships for the survivors of the 8th Octobers earthquake. Rains and snow damaged tents in several parts and freezing temperatures plummeted as low as minus 30 Celsius caused diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis and fever with shivering.
Though the Army and the WHO teams say there has been no surge in the number of the sick people despite more than a foot of snow, there are media reports saying only in Azad Kashmir, upto 35 children are reported to have died of pneumonia. According to a regional health director Azad Kashmir, 28 children had died in Gultari area on the Line of Control in Kashmir. Rest of the children died in adjoining areas. These re reports say that in such remote areas, medicines are in short supply. Pneumonia patients are in high numbers who are approaching different hospitals, among them majority is of children.
Another issue which has been fast emerging in tents is that these tents catch fire and as a result dozens of such deaths have been reported during the month. In such a recent incident, two women were killed and two others sustained burn injuries when a tent caught fire in a camp for earthquake survivors near Mansehra town January 03, 2006. Official sources said the incident took place in the Mandhiar camp near Attar Sheesha village on the road to Balakot.
Aid workers on January 3, 2006 set up new camps for the earthquake survivors, whose tents collapsed in heavy rain and snow. The bad weather disrupted and hampered relief operations made helicopter flights grounded while most roads in the area have been blocked by snow and landslides. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has set up a new camp at Upper Gojra on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad to accommodate 85 families. Another 35 families whose tents collapsed have been moved to another camp in Muzaffarabad and provided with blankets and plastic sheets. Army soldiers and aid workers including Actionaids team distributed more blankets and plastic sheets and replaced leaking and collapsed tents.
Actionaid's Initiatives
Policy Work
All the four field offices of Actionaid in Mansehra, Batagram, Bagh and Muzafarabad and a Project office are now fully functional. Staff capacities in assessments, planning are being conducted on an ongoing basis. Trouble shooting is being carried out in Battagram where the transition from an adhoc arrangement to a more systematic approach to relief and reconstruction has now taken place.
Actioanids earthquake relief program team, based on their field work and assessments, says in most of the parts of the areas affected by earthquake, it is still difficult to move from relief to reconstruction work because of the deteriorating weather conditions; one reason for this is that the governments contribution was inadequate to help families address their basic needs for shelter, warm clothes and bedding and above all the food. Further, the distribution was slow and sporadic.
While in Bagh and Muzzafarabad, people have generally expressed satisfaction over the transparency of distribution of the initial Rs. 25,000, they too felt that it was inadequate for a joint family setup (on average 2 ? 3 families living in a household) whereas in areas such as Manshera and Batagram, the distribution was left to the discretion of the area 'nazims' (head of local governments) and other influential people who gave preference to their own voters. In Manshera there have been several demonstrations by community groups and as a result the process is being reviewed by the district ?nazim.
Actionaid believes ownership and displacement issues still need considered attention from rights based organizations. Actionaids earthquake program team is currently discussing a concept with the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), an independent think tank in Pakistan, to do a more critical assessment of these issues and prepare a policy document for wider circulation. Further, there is a discussion with Shirkat Gah, a leading NGO, on assessing womens issues in the four areas and with Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) to facilitate an international conference on disaster preparedness.
Shelter a top priority
Appropriate shelter remains to be the highest priority in the areas where Actionaid teams are working. Currently over 150 shelters have been constructed in Rawalakot, Batagram and Manshera and work has been initiated in Bagh and Muzafarabad on appropriate community designed shelters.
The process for the shelters is that community prepares the basic structure out of material retrieved from their collapsed home and Actionaid provides them with the Galvanized Iron (GI) sheets and sanitary wares depending on the need and availability. Local technical people have been hired in Manshera where the shelters are semi permanent to ensure that earthquake safe standards are followed.
Food and Non Food Items
As the harsh winter sets in there is also an increasing demand for blankets, food (especially in Muzaffarabad), warm clothes and room heating. Actionaid has sent food items for 500 families to Muzaffarabad for immediate distribution. Similarly 1000 water proof ?Tarpals (tarpaulins) have also been sent out to Muzaffarabad to give families additional protection and insulation for their homes. Over 2000 ?Bukahari, locally designed room heaters, are being sent to all the four areas and will be distributed in the coming week to the families. Blankets and bedding for 2000 families are being procured and sent to the four areas in equal numbers to give families protection from the harsh winters in the coming week.
Actionaid plans to increase its outreach to another 1500 families in contributing towards shelter, food, quilts and blankets and heating based on need and priority from the money it has generated through The Independent on Sundays Christmas appeal.
Psycho social counseling
There is also a very strong need for psycho-social counseling for the community and pertinent organizations are being contacted to provide support in setting up community centres that would provide these services to those who need them.
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