Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2005/0096
OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Pakistan - Floods
Situation
1. In parts of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), extensive flooding occurred due to hot temperatures, with unusually high volumes of snowmelt in the Hindu Kush Mountains overflowing the rivers. The United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in Islamabad has reported that the water level was rising and the flood situation was likely to worsen. There is extensive damage to property and standing crops, but no life has been lost so far.
2. According to the report issued today by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the recent intense heat wave at 52 degrees Celsius has resulted in particularly heavy snowmelts in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Earlier this year, the same areas had received record snowfalls. The combination of factors is resulting in extremely high river levels in NWFP and the Northern Areas.
3. In NWFP, three districts, Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera (total population of these districts: 4.7 million) were affected by the flooding. Some 15,700 people have been displaced. Five Afghan refugee camps in the above districts have been affected. The camps host a total of 7,025 families, of which, 1,170 families have been affected. In Northern Areas, some 10,000 people have been affected.
National Response
4. The Government has not requested international assistance to date.
5. The Government has provided PKR 100 million (USD 1,704,739) for emergency relief, as well as 600 food packages (200 per district). The Provincial government of NWFP has provided PKR 10 million (USD 170,474) for the three affected districts as well as 950 food packages and 277 tents for Peshawar, 120 food packages and 90 tents for Nowshera and 200 food packages and 200 tents for Charsadda.
6. The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has allocated PKR 4 million (USD 68,190) for NWFP and PKR 1 million (USD 17,047) for the Northern Areas. PRCS-NWFP provided 459 food packages.
International Response
7. An assessment mission was conducted by staff members of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Peshawar and Charsadda districts of NWFP on 23 June. Some 1,000 families in the villages near the Kabul river were in need of shelter, food, boats and cooking utensils.
8. An Inter-Agency Coordination Committee (IACC), consisting of UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), WHO (World Health Organization), WFP (World Food Programme), UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and NGOs, was established on 27 June and conducted a Rapid Assessment Survey in the most affected districts on 28 June.
9. The United Nations Disaster Management Team (UNDMT) met on 29 June, where the results of the above Assessment Survey were presented. Medicines, food drinking water, logistic support appear to be priority areas for relief. Five sectoral sub-groups have been formed to make comprehensive assessment of the requirements in the affected areas. The next meeting is scheduled on 7 July.
10. OCHA is in close contact with the UN Resident Coordinator's Office as well as with the Government of Pakistan, and will revert with further information, as it becomes available.
11. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int.
Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org
In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10
Desk Officers:
Ms. Masayo Kondo, Direct Tel. +41-22-917
1997
Mr. Massaki Nakagawa, Direct Tel. +41-22-917 4034
Press contact:
(GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, Direct Tel.
+41-22-917 26 53
(N.Y.) Ms. Stephanie Bunker, Direct Tel. +1-212-963 87 40
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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