ReliefWeb

- The Earthquake in Balochistan province has left 166 deaths and 370 injured (government confirmed figure).

- According to the initial results of McRAM (Multi-Cluster Rapid Assessment Mechanism) survey of 36 villages in the three earthquake affected districts of Balochistan (Ziarat, Pishin and Harnai) Ziarat is the worst affected. Around 68,200 people were affected in the area and need assistance. About 7,600 houses have been completely or partially damaged.

SITUATION

1. An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 has hit Balochistan province in south-western Pakistan on 29 October. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the quake was in Chiltan mountains, 80 kilometers northwest of Quetta. The first tremor struck at 4:09 am local time (23:09 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometer while the second one came at 5:15 am. The affected region is the mountainous area extending from Ziarat, about 110 KMs northeast of Quetta to Pishin, Qilla Abdullah to Chaman (border town along Afghan border). Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reports that the worst hit area falls within villages Khanozai and Topa Achakzai in eastern Pishin district and Wachun Kawas village in Ziarat district and possibly Harnai district (east of Ziarat).

2. According to the initial results of McRAM (Multi-Cluster Rapid Assessment Mechanism) survey conducted from 31 October to 3 November 2008 in 36 villages of the three most affected districts of Balochistan, 50% of the 68,200 people affected are children. Most urgent needs include shelter, food, warm clothing, emergency medical care, water and sanitation facilities. Over 32% of the affected population need immediate shelter and about 62%of the affected population have no food stock, and those who have will run out of it within 2-4 weeks

NATIONAL RESPONSE

3. The Prime Minister has directed Earthquake Rehabilitation and Relief Authority (ERRA) to help the Balochistan government in the recovery phase especially in providing shelters to the affected population. The Prime Minister has announced that the cost of the shelters will be borne by the government and that the shelters should be modeled on shelters used by ERRA in NWFP and Pakistan Administered Kashmir (AJK) earthquake hit region. UN-Habitat has deployed a team with the ERRA Deputy Chairman in the affected area.

4. As of 4 November, NDMA reports that 1,100 tents, 13,900 blankets, 7,281 food packs and medicine worth Rs 4 million (USD 43,750) have been distributed through PDMA Balochistan. Through the food packs, 37,882 bags of flour, 850 bags of rice and 700 bags of sugar have been distributed.

5. Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has planned to cater for food and shelter requirements for an initial group of 4,000 affected families. So far the PRCS Provincial Branch in Quetta has dispatched emergency stocks NFIs and shelter kits for 2,300 families in Ziarat and 500 families in Pishin. The distribution has been done amongst the families identified during an assessment carried out by PRCS teams in six villages (5 villages in Ziarat and 1 village in Pishin). In addition 6 trucks loaded with 575 tents, 1,500 Plastic sheets, 3,100 quilts, 410 coal stove are ready to be dispatched to Ziarat on requirement. Four PRCS assessments and relief teams and two medical teams are deployed in Ziarat district, operating from the rural health centre in Kawas. So far 1,230 patients have been treated. The common diseases reported are Respiratory Track Infection, Pneumonia, Diarrhoea. Some cases of trauma were also treated.