CWS-ACT
Earthquake Response

ACT Situation Report

Pakistan 07/06

ACT Appeal ASSA51 (Revision 2) - Emergency Relief to Quake-affected

Pakistan earthquake

Geneva, May 17, 2006

Information provided by ACT member Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS)

The following is a compilation of extracts from weekly reports on CWS-ACT activities during the last part of April.

From the April 19 report

Psychosocial program team

The activities in the last week included follow-up of the vulnerable families left behind in tent villages, visits to United Pakistan camp and regular counseling sessions with the IDPs returning to their hometowns.

The team compiled a list of vulnerable families residing in United Pakistan tent village and shared it with camp managers. The team also made arrangements for the few families in the Turkish and Alrasheed camp who are not ready to return yet. It has been generally observed that vulnerable families also tend to move out of the camps once general migration starts. The United Pakistan camp management was informed of the status of the families who are to be shifted. The residents of United Pakistan tent village are very apprehensive and confused about their future. Lack of accurate information and details about return policies further add to their anxiety. Movement of most of these IDPs is forced and involuntary. Return packages for the families were not distributed on an equal basis. Most of the resident of United Pakistan informed the psychosocial team that the food-package distribution stopped two months ago. The concerns of the residents were then put forward to the camp officials by the CWS team. In addition, counseling sessions were conducted with several families. As of April 18, almost all of the 267 families in the camp had left for their villages or other areas.

The team organized a henna design competition for the women in the United Pakistan camp to help create a healthy and somewhat relaxed environment. Women participated actively and socialized with others. The United Pakistan team also held a sports competition with the children in the camp.

The team has also extended its activities to spontaneous camps (as opposed to the organized camps referred to above). During the visit to Batdarian, the team met with women and children and carried out an assessment of the camp. The women were encouraged to share their stories and concerns.

Recovery assessment and Monitoring (RAM) team

A scouting team was sent to the villages of Pamal Sharif and Batamori. The team also worked with the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) water and sanitation assessor to identify sites for water schemes in Manaye, Gangwal, Karmung, Rashang and Battila.

Team members were assigned to accompany the relief evaluation teams to Chatter Plain, Dhudyal, Ashwal, and Pattika, areas where relief goods were distributed, and where beneficiaries are still using CWS-ACT tents. CWS-ACT prepared electronic copies of the relief distribution maps for the four districts of Mansehra, Battagram, Shangla and Kohistan.

Construction Trade Training Center (CTTC)

The third of the CTTCs (managed by CWS-ACT in collaboration with the Dosti Foundation) is under construction at Battagram. At the centers, men are receiving vocational training in four construction trades - masonry, electricity, welding, and plumbing and carpentry. The second session at the Mansehra CTTC began on April 12.

From the April 26 report

Psychosocial program

The activities in the last week included the assessments of different spontaneous camps in Bat-darian, Potha, Ghazikot and Ghazikot Maira to identify needs for future psychosocial work. The team registered 36 profiles of the tent villagers in Bat-darian camp and arranged five group meetings with them to identify their needs.

Almost all the planned camps are now closed, but spontaneous camps are still operational in a few locations. The psychosocial team continues to support and maintain follow-ups of the IDPs even after camp closures. It has been shared that some families are facing problems in returning to their homes as the roads are blocked due to landslides.

Health and hygiene program

The health and hygiene team visited the Batheria spontaneous camp and registered 136 children. Children were divided into two groups based on their ages and were given hygiene promotion training. The team also visited Ghazikot and Ghazikot Mera camps where it conducted surveys for future work. Chatter Plain and Battal governmental schools have also been visited for the same purpose.

Water and sanitation program

The water and sanitation team is working in various spontaneous camps. In Maira camp and Haripur, the water and sanitation equipment has been handed over to local authorities. Water-storage tanks and pipelines are under construction in the Siran valley of Mansehra District. In Chattar Plains, the laying of water lines to Sharkulei village from Ashwal areas is in progress. Pipelines are also being repaired in Battagram. Boreholes have been completed in Ghazi kot and Ghazi kot Maira of Mansehra District.

Training on chlorination of the tanks was conducted for Public Health and Engineering Department staff in Battagram.

Recovery and monitoring and assessment (RAM) program
RAM teams are engaged in monitoring, capacity building of staff, and providing support to Norwegian Church Aid (NCA). Deployed monitoring teams covered two tehsils (counties) - Palas and Chakisar of Kohistan and Shangla Districts respectively. In Palas, three union councils and seven villages were covered in which 85 household profiles and six village profiles were completed. In Chakisar, one union council and four villages were covered in which 115 household profiles and five village profiles were completed.

The RAM team also facilitated NCA’s identification of the areas for water and sanitation activities. NCA has approved eight more schemes on the basis of data provided by the RAM team - Ugaz Banda, Kotgala, Shagai and Kander in Peshora; Kunjbori, Torra Dehri and Inzarpatti in Thakot and Batagram City.

Capacity-building program

This program of the Emergency Field Office of CWS-ACT is planning its monthly seminar titled “Recovery Update and Planning.” The main objective of this seminar is to provide a platform where the CWS-NCA-ACT team members and their implementing partners can share their achievements and identify gaps and constrains in their work. The seminar will also help to ensure cooperation among all stakeholders while designing future strategies.