CWS-ACT
Earthquake Response

ACT Situation Report

Pakistan-India 02/06

South Asia earthquake: ACT response

Geneva, January 10, 2006

PAKISTAN

Information supplied by Church World Service (Pakistan/Afghanistan office)

General situation

Helicopters bringing relief supplies to earthquake zones in the mountainous areas were able to resume flights on January 4 after snow and rain grounded them for several days. Extreme winter weather has also been cutting off numerous roads. Along with survivors, the Pakistani army, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations and humanitarian-aid specialists are struggling against rain, snow and landslides in the mountainous areas. With harsher weather conditions and temperatures dropping to minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Celsius in the highest villages, the priority now is to provide the homeless with the means to protect themselves against the cold. The UN estimates that as many as 400,000 people are in higher areas where it is feared that snow and rain will make it harder for helicopters and trucks to reach them. While there has been no wet weather for several days, forecasters were warning of more cold that would add to the misery of the more than two million survivors living in tents or crude shelters.

Church World Service (CWS)-ACT response

Despite the heavy snowfall in the disaster zone, CWS-ACT has been making a steadfast effort to continue its relief activities.

In the Shohal Najaf tent camp, where CWS-ACT is working, another NGO has provided kerosene heaters, and the World Food Program has donated two large tarpaulins to cover the basic health unit and the warehouse in the camp. Residents of the camp have received stoves, but the army has stopped the distribution of kerosene. CWS teams are trying to put forward a workable proposal to the army for the distribution of kerosene.

The CWS psychosocial program team assessed the conditions in the camp after the recent cold spell and heavy downpour. The team met with the camp administrator to analyze the present situation and work out ways to solve the problems together. It was decided that the available stock of warm clothing will be distributed to residents and that two more blankets will be provided to each person in each family.

The newly recruited and trained psychosocial program staff has begun work at both the Shohal Najaf and Hassa tent villages in order to assist a greater number of people. The team met with families individually to hear their problems and stories.

The psychosocial team conducted a meeting with the male residents of the Shohal Najaf tent village, who said they appreciated the team’s efforts team and shared their personal experiences faced during the earthquake with the team. The female psychosocial team continued to conduct meetings with women in the camps.

The CWS health and hygiene team reported that conditions around the latrines in Shohal Najaf camp have deteriorated significantly due to the heavy rain. The ground has become muddy and slippery, making it difficult to reach the latrines. There are also large puddles of water, and holes in the latrines are causing them to flood. Water is also seeping inside the tents, creating problems for the residents. The army has helped by shifting people to dryer areas. CWS and the army have decided together that slabs will be placed on the pathways leading to the latrines and bathroom. Furthermore, an outlet line will be constructed to allow the water to drain toward the rivers.

Meetings and visitors

On December 31, CWS Islamabad staff and emergency field office staff from Mansehra participated in the “Recovery Strategy Workshop” in Abbottabad. The participants reflected upon the activities of 2005 in the post-relief phase of the earthquake and outlined plans and strategies for the recovery needs of the affected families in 2006.

It was shared at the UN camp management cluster meeting in Islamabad that the World Health Organization and the health cluster have been asked to set up a health post within each planned camp in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

According to the water and sanitation cluster update, 2,000 latrines will be built in NWFP, which will benefit 40,000 people. In AJK, 3,000 latrines have been constructed by the villagers themselves with slabs provided to them.

The UN cluster partners in Mansehra have composed a group of volunteers to conduct an assessment visit in six villages of the Kala Dhaka tribe via helicopter. They plan to carry out distribution of shelter kits in the selected areas. CWS offered the services of four volunteers for this needs-based activity. It was further decided that the activity would commence once the weather has cleared.

The UN camp management cluster in Manshera has decided to conduct a joint registration of all camps starting this month. To enhance the technical capacity of the partners in terms of camp management, a two-day training course will be held January 23 to 24 in Mansehra.

The first UN mental health cluster meeting was held in Mansehra. CWS presented its psychosocial program activities, which were well received. Those present stressed the importance of establishing a close liaison between all partners for rapid recovery of the earthquake survivors.

The UN general cluster meeting was held in Mansehra at which CWS shared its planning for the recovery phase. OCHA management proposed posting the CWS-ACT planning framework on the Web as a guide and reference for other humanitarian organizations.

Sources: Web sites of Geo TV, AAJ TV, Dawn, Reuters Television Network, Daily Time and the Nation; field reports of CWS needs-assessment team and Pakistan Humanitarian Forum meeting minutes.

Visit the Web site of Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan for regular updates. Also see the Web site of the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum, which CWS is part of. The site has useful information about the NGO response to the earthquake.

INDIA

Information supplied by the Academy for Disaster Management Education, Planning and Training (ADEPT) (created by the National Lutheran Health & Medical Board, a unit of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, which holds ACT membership)

General situation

Like the mountainous areas of Pakistan hit by the earthquake, the Kashmir valley in India continues to reel under intense cold, with temperatures around – and often below - the freezing mark.

The roads to Karnah, Teetwal, Tangdhar and Keran have been closed for several days. Zojila, the highest point on the 434-km-long Leh highway, has received about five feet of snow. Zojila highway has been closed to civilian traffic since November 17.

The electricity supply around Dal Lake has been hit and was not restored even after four days in many towns in the Anantnag and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir, some parts of Budgam in central Kashmir, and the Baramulla and Kupwara districts of north Kashmir because of massive damage to the poles and wires.

Thousands of quake survivors in Uri and Tangdhar are thus facing new challenges. In many places, temporary shelters and tents have collapsed, and people have been forced to take shelter in community halls and government buildings.

The leading daily, Thr Hindu, quoted Khurshid Ahmed, a resident of Uri, as saying, “We couldn’t sleep for the second straight night. Until midnight it was snowing heavily, and we took turns to remove the snow from our sheds to prevent them from collapsing.” Another resident, Ghulam Khawja, said, “It is very cold out here. Even the firewood is wet, and there is a scarcity of kerosene.”

Update from Churches Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) on its response

In spite of the problems faced (remoteness and inaccessibility of area of response, insecurity, distribution barriers) CASA and its partners were able to complete the initial phase of its response (providing blankets, woolen clothing material, tarpaulins and utensil sets to 1,000 families) by November, 24, 2005. The villages selected for assistance were among the most remote and vulnerable. CASA subsequently has had to almost completely halt its relief operations for the time being because of the snowfall that has started in the hills. Transportation is a problem, as some patches of road and villages become inaccessible due to landslides and snow.

Therefore, CASA has requested of the ACT Coordinating Office a time extension to its activities under the current appeal, resuming work at the latest by February and completing its project by April.