Emergency Relief to Quake Affected

Balance Requested from ACT Alliance: US$ 17,536,383

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale shook parts of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan on 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 Pakistan. Meteorological Departments reported that it was the strongest earthquake in the area for the last hundred years. Thousands of smaller tremors have been recorded in the area since the main quake on 8 October.

The death toll continues to rise with numbers currently around 87,000 dead and many more seriously injured. Remote villages are only being accessed slowly. The full scale of this disaster has been unfolding slowly.

Massive rescue and relief operations are continuing in a race against time. They are still facing immense difficulties because of broken/blocked roads and bridges in the affected areas and the worsening weather conditions with heavy rainfall, hail storms, low temperatures and mud and land slides. There is an enormous need of relief goods with food, tents, blankets and medicines being the priority.

ACT member Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan - CWS (P/A) along with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is providing emergency relief for Pakistan comprising shelter kits, food packages, housing reconstruction kits, medical services, water and sanitation. ACT member Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) with the assistance of partner organisations is providing relief kits comprising blankets, clothing and household utensils; temporary shelter – tarpaulins and tin sheeting in Indian-administered Kashmir.

For the sake of brevity this revision deals with the CWS-P/A programme, which includes the NCA WatSan project. Furthermore some changes have been made to the ACT co-ordination and communication budget. The CASA programme in Indian-administered Kashmir and Evaluation remain as in the original appeal issued 17 October 2005.

ACT requests urgently your further pledges against the total appeal, including the components for Evaluation and ACT Co-ordination.

Project Completion Date:

CWS (P/A) - ACT - 31 July 2006

CASA-ACT - 30 December 2005

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

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