Emergency Relief to Quake Affected - Preliminary Appeal

Balance Requested from ACT Alliance: US$ 6,335,578

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale shook Islamabad and Rawalpindi at 08:50 am on Saturday 8 October 2005 forcing people to run out of their homes in panic. The quake’s epicenter lay 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Islamabad in Mansehra and Muzaffarabad area. The Director-General of the Pakistani Meteorological Department reported that it was the strongest earthquake in the area for the last hundred years. Hundreds of smaller tremors have been recorded in the area since the main quake on 8 October.

The death toll continues to rise with estimates currently over 20,000 dead and at least 41,000 injured. One of the worst hit areas is Azad Kashmir where around 17,200 have been reported killed. Reports are still coming in about new casualties in other tremor-hit areas. Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawalkot are among the worst quake-hit areas in Azad Kashmir.

Massive rescue and relief operations are underway but they have been facing immense difficulties because of broken and blocked roads and bridges in the affected areas. There is enormous need of relief goods with food, tents and blankets being the priority. The situation is worsening in some of the affected areas due to heavy rainfall, hail storms, low temperatures and mud and land slides.

This is a preliminary appeal with ACT member Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS-P/A) proposing emergency relief assistance for Pakistan comprising shelter kits, food packages, housing reconstruction kits and medical services. The ACT Co-ordination Office (ACT CO) expects further information based on the ongoing assessments and monitoring done by the ACT members in the affected countries. ACT member Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is working together with CWS-P/A.

ACT members CWS P/A and NCA are also further assessing the situation in Afghanistan of which little is known so far. ACT member Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) is in the process of putting together a proposal for Indian-administered Kashmir. Funds have been included in this Appeal for an External Evaluation and to cover the additional costs for co-ordination and communication of the ACT CO.

Project Completion Date:

CWS - 30 April 2006

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested

Signed by:
Mieke Weeda
For
Jenny Borden
Interim Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office