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Pakistan

Pakistan: Floods OCHA Situation Report No. 1

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2006/0145
OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Pakistan -Floods

This situation report is based on the information received from the Integrated UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator's Office in Islamabad.

Situation

1. Heavy monsoon rains have caused flash floods and mudslides in areas affected by the South Asia Earthquake (08 October 2005) such as Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Mansehra. As a result, more than 40 people have died in the earthquake-hit areas, and over one thousand persons had to be relocated in a rapid response supported by local governments, UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO and their partners.

2. Due to ongoing monsoon rains, Neelum Valley is cut off due to the destruction of the main road leading to the valley. This has negatively affected the supply of food to the valley, which hosts an estimated 150,000 people. Access to Jhelum Valley and other areas is also becoming difficult.

Situation and Response in North West Frontier Province (NWFP)

3. On 23rd July heavy rainfall in Balakot Tehsil damaged Gul Dheri, Jabbi Sughdar and Bissian villages as well as Shinkiari village in Tehsil Mansehra. The floods and landslides damaged both public and private property, perished livestock and resulted in 2 human casualties, 4 injuries and the damage of 90-95 houses. The government committed to paying compensation for the deceased, while the injured were transferred for treatment in nearby health facilities.

4. On 27th July, heavy rainfall in NWFP changed the course of Kunnar River and flooded Jahangira and Gul Deray villages near Kashtra camp in Garhi Habibullah which is one of the three official residual camps remaining in NWFP. Two villages were submerged; three people were reportedly dead and four missing with 250 houses damaged. Furthermore, a major bridge has been partially submerged. Kashtra camp itself was not widely affected though some tents were damaged. 200 families were relocated to Jaba Camp, an alternative safe site established away from the flood zone. Two medical teams from International Medical Corps (IMC) are working with the government to help relocate people and running a basic health unit in Jaba camp. The Jaba campsite will be extended with water supply and electricity. An additional 109 families from Kashtra camp will also be relocated as the camp location will be dangerous should the river change its course.

5. The response, which was led by District authorities, provided 200 tents, cooked and raw food and NFIs for the families as well as 3 excavators to clear the debris in the river. The Education department committed to providing 200 boy scouts together with the Civil Defense personnel/volunteers who are ready to assist if needed. UNHCR will provide 500 tents and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) 150 tents. Additional tents will be provided by other organization.

6. WHO and District Health Department will work on prevention of expected outbreak of diseases. WHO will perform water quality testing in camps. On 28th July, rains continued and resulted into the blockade of Lundi stream at Garhi Habibullah, and caused the main Mansehra and Balakot roads to be blocked at different places. Another mudslide at Jabori in Siran Valley killed 7 persons.

7. The response included clearing the debris in the river and deploying personnel at Garhi Habibullah to monitor the floods round the clock and inform the population of alerts, if any. The Government has also hired machinery and is working on opening the main Garhi Habibullah - Mansehra road as well as the Balakot road.

8. The government committed 1,000 kanal of land in Jaba where the IDPs will be shifted in phases. Human Resource Development Officer (HRDO) will have the Jaba Camp prepared for 2,000 - 2,500 internal displaced people.

9. The 200 affected families from the floods will be shifted in Phase-I, IDPs of Kashtra camp (107 families) will be shifted in Phase-II and 70 IDP families in the Turkish Lighthouse camp will be shifted in Phase-III. IOM will provide transportation to the IDPs. WFP will provide food to the camp population while UNICEF will be responsible for water supply and sanitation. The camp will be ready by July 31st for shifting IDPs of Phase-I.

10. The DCO office is convening daily meetings with the support of UN Area Coordinator's office at Mansehra for this response. It has requested WFP to support food provisions to the people beyond Balakot for a couple of months. UNICEF has supplied additional pipes to restore the damaged pipelines providing 5,500 people with access to safe drinking water in Mansehra.

11. Situation and Response outside earthquake hit area: on 27th July, flooding in River Jendi, district Charsadda (NWFP) due to torrential rains caused havoc in the city, inundating more than 800 houses and displacing 1,600 families. It destroyed livestock and 13 km of standing crops on both sides of the river. The district authorities are shifting the displaced people to schools and camps. Clean drinking water is being supplied by the Tehsil Municipal Corporation through a water tanker. Pakistan army is providing support in the emergency response in the worst hit areas of the district. Five dispensaries have been established with the help of district government. On 29th July, over 25 people were swept away in flash floods in the Karak district of NWFP. Karak police claimed that 10 bodies have been retrieved from different places during the relief operation.

Situation and Response Pakistan Administrated Kashmir (PAK)

12. In PAK, at least 12 people were killed in the Chela Bandi area of Muzaffarabad where overnight rains on 24th July triggered mudslides which affected a small settlement of an estimated 50 families resided. This area was classified as hazardous and prone to landslides by both federal and local authorities, and prioritized for relocation. The authorities had approached the families for the planned relocation but the families chose to remain in the area, noting that it appeared stable. 46 families that survived were immediately relocated to shelters by CMO in collaboration with UNHCR and IOM. From the federal level, two army platoons were tasked by ERRA to support the government to expedite the relocation other villages at-risk.

13. In Bagh on the dawn of 27th July, 227 families were relocated after their permanent settlement in Barri Nullah (which falls on the riverbed) was damaged by floods and strong currents causing injuries due to the movement of large rocks. The families were relocated next to the District HQ. The authorities then embarked in coordinating emergency assistance for shelter, food and relief items with the support of UN agencies.

14. In response, CMO provided tents for the population and UNHCR quilts once the list from the community is provided. UNDP pledged to provide gas cylinders and stoves for the community kitchen. OXFAM will provide latrines with plastic sheeting. UNHCR is checking with its partner Best if they can provide lighting in strategic places within the campsite.

15. A task force was established consisting of UNICEF, WHO, UNDP, OXFAM, CMO Representatives, local Government, PHED, XEN Electricity, DHO, Social Welfare Department and one Community Representative. UNICEF is providing bladders and water filters to 227 families relocated from Bari Nullah, and is assisting in connecting town water supply to camps. As of 31 July, 19 residual camps have been connected with water supply.

16. In close consultation and coordination with CMO, the Department of Education and UNHCR, UNICEF has finalised the plan to establish nine new Camp schools for children who have recently been relocated into residual camps in Muzaffarabad.

17. UNICEF is supplying sanitation provisions and health drugs at district health authorities in order to prevent outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases and cholera. UNICEF is also escalation immunization campaigns in camps and villages.

18. In PAK as of 23rd July, the relocation of almost 6,200 persons in 23 villages classified to fall in landslide zones has been completed. CMO in collaboration with UNHCR and IOM relocated over 5,000 individuals to camps and a further 1,000 to safer areas close to their homes. In NWFP the relocation of the 4 villages has not started.

19. The total residual internal displaced people caseload in PAK and NWFP is 31,000 people residing in a total of 59 camps in PAK and NWFP. The bulk of the caseload is in PAK where over 42 camps exist with 4,286 families (22,666 individuals). A Returns Barrier Survey was completed in NWFP and will be carried out in PAK once the consolidation of camps is complete.

Response (including update on the Oct 2005 Earthquake operation)

20. The IASC Country Team has initiated the inter-agency contingency planning for winter and the effects of monsoon. The response plan will span a six month period, August 2006 to February 2007 and is being spearheaded by a core group of UNRC Office, UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, WHO, and Oxfam. Two teams from Islamabad headed to support authorities in PAK and NWFP. In PAK the delegation included UNRC office, UNHCR, Oxfam and ICRC while in NWFP the team included UNRC Office and Oxfam.

21. A new Director General for SERRA in PAK assumed office and called for a General Co-ordination Meeting with the UN and NGOs on 1st August 2006.

22. Following the request from ERRA, UN agencies (led by the RC) agreed to provide support in revitalizing sectoral coordination. Former UN Heads of Cluster met with their sectoral counterparts in ERRA for discussions and mapping out the weaknesses and strengths of each group. Health, Watsan, Livelihoods and Rural Housing were operational albeit at varying strengths. It was agreed that Urban Housing, Education, Protection and Residual Relief as well as Disaster Risk Reduction, Good Governance and Environment would be established in the near future. Various concerns were raised by UN agencies and these included: the significance of the Early Recovery Plan, the capacity building of newly designated Programme Managers in ERRA, the push for an ERRA lead of the working groups, the limits of support from the UN agencies and the integration of the Early Recovery Plan into daily operations.

23. ERRA has announced that it will revise the Early Recovery Plan to reflect the reduced funding of the plan. All working groups have been tasked to provide prioritized activities and funding by mid-August.

24. Led by the Transitional Relief Cell (TRC) in ERRA, a Working Group is being established to coordinate and follow-up on relief and camp management issues in Islamabad as well as winter and monsoon response in general.

25. 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. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int.

Map: Pakistan: Floods - Location map

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In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:

(GVA) Mr. Guido Galli, Direct Tel. +41-22-917 3171
(GVA) Mr. Masaaki Nakagawa, Direct Tel. +41-22-917 4034
(N.Y.) Ms. Heidi Kuttab, Direct Tel. +1-212-917-3365

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

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