PAKISTAN - EARTHQUAKE: USAID/DART SITUATION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 ISLAMABAD 015860

SIPDIS

STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID
USAID/W FOR A/AID ANDREW NATSIOS, JBRAUSE
DCHA/OFDA KISAACS, GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA
SOUTH ASIA RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM
SOUTH ASIA EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE
DCHA/FFP FOR LAUREN LANDIS
ANE DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MARK WARD
BANGKOK FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR TOM DOLAN
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER
ROME PASS FODAG
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH
NSC FOR JMELINE
EUCOM FOR POLA/J3/J4/J5
BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER
NEW YORK FOR TMALY
SECDEF FOR SOLIC/PKHA, USDP/J3
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC FOR J3/J4/J5
HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE FOR J3/J5


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID AEMR ASEC MASS ECON KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN - EARTHQUAKE: USAID/DART SITUATION REPORT
#5


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Summary
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1. On October 21, the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) reported that 62,000 tents were delivered to
Pakistan by the international community and 50,000 tents
have been delivered by the Government of Pakistan (GOP).
IOM further stated that there are currently 194,000 tents
available in the international community pipeline, and
45,000 to 210,000 shelters are needed. The Pakistani
military has established sites for 5,000 families (30,000
individuals) in Balakot and Batagram and 3,000 families
(18,000 individuals) in Gari Habibullah. The U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is also discussing with
the Pakistani military the establishment of additional camps
in Mansehra, Muzaffarabad, Shangla, and 10 other locations.
USAID/Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) team members
in Muzaffarabad continue to report that tents are the
priority. On October 21, the shelter cluster group in
Muzaffarabad reported that 1,300 to 1,400 tents have been
distributed in the district to date. Seven to eight percent
of Muzaffarabad is considered at high altitude and/or
inaccessible, and access to small villages remains a
problem. End summary.

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Death Tolls
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2. According to the Pakistani Federal Relief Commissioner,
as of October 21, the October 8 earthquake killed 49,739
people and injured 74,000 others. The official death toll
in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) alone is 37,958.
The most-affected district is Mansehra, where 32,653 deaths
and 12,814 injuries have been confirmed thus far.

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Health
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3. On October 19, a USAID/Pakistan representative attended
an emergency health cluster meeting and reported that the
Ministry of Health (MOH) discussed the importance of the non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) supporting widows,
children, orphans, and the elderly. Anti-tetanus globulin
remains an urgent need, and the International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is trying to
meet this need. The MOH representative at the cluster
meeting reported that the number of amputations is
increasing, and this will lead to a significant need for
rehabilitation services. A committee has been formed to
assess the rehabilitation needs of the affected population.
The MOH is setting up intermediate centers in Islamabad to
house women and children who are displaced because they are
in Islamabad to receive medical care.


4. According to the GOP, 100 3-person medical teams,
consisting of a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a medical
student, have been dispatched to affected areas to treat
people, particularly children, suffering from shock. The
health cluster group also reported that Save the Children-
U.S. has opened a field hospital in Batagram.

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Food
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5. On October 19, a U.S. Embassy/Pakistan representative
attended the food cluster group meeting and reported that
the flash appeal will be completed on October 21. The U.N.
World Food Program (WFP) reported that there is still an
urgent need to determine the number and locations of people
who need food assistance, as well as the number of people
migrating to cities from villages. Vitamin A
supplementation distribution and measles vaccinations have
begun in affected areas.



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Shelter
--------------


6. On October 19, a U.S. Embassy/Pakistan representative
attended the shelter cluster meeting and reported that
a shelter cluster working group paper was circulated and
proposed the following alternatives to winterized tents:

--Improvised housing: constructed using materials from
donated buildings and donated materials, most likely with
wooden frames.

--Rehabilitated housing: repairing structurally sound
earthquake damaged buildings.

--Warm Room: (variant of rehabilitated housing)
winterizing and heating a single room of a structurally
sound damaged building.

--Host family housing: survivors share housing with
families whose housing is intact.


7. IOM reported that statistics on the number of tents
being provided for earthquake survivors and those on the way
are still not exact. The shelter cluster is trying to
determine if the 100,000 tents reportedly at GOP disposal
and the 150,000 tents in the GOP pipeline include donated
tents. On October 21, the USAID/DART Deputy Team Leader
spoke with an IOM representative who stated that 62,000
tents were delivered to Pakistan by the international
community and 50,000 tents have been delivered by the GOP.
IOM further stated that there are currently 194,000 tents
available in the international community pipeline, and
45,000 to 210,000 shelters are needed. The IOM
representative noted that there is no information regarding
the GOP's pipeline. IOM has also not been able to confirm
whether the GOP has requisitioned tents.


8. IOM stated that it has had discussions with the leaders
of the camp management and logistics cluster on an overall
shelter strategy but that so far no conclusions had been
reached.


9. The Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) reported
that it has been working from Mansehra, in conjunction with
the Pakistani military and local officials, and has
established approximately 11 camps of 50 tents each. RSPN
discovered that rather than staying in large camps, people
preferred to live closer to their own property; for this
reason RSPN's camp sizes are small, and many people have
chosen to take tents and supplies to locations closer to
their own property.


10. On October 21, a shelter meeting was held in
Muzaffarabad and the cluster group reported that 1,300 to
1,400 tents have been distributed in the district to date.
[Note. This does not include GOP data or data on tents
flown in or trucked in directly from Islamabad. End Note.]
Alternative shelter kits are being developed, as well as a
shelter repair (warm/dry room concept) strategy. Seven to
eight percent of Muzaffarabad is considered at high altitude
and/or inaccessible, and access to small villages remains a
problem. Teams from Oxfam are making visits to villages and
organizing deliveries of relief supplies upon returning to
town. IOM does not yet have a presence in Muzaffarabad, and
they are needed to centralize data as well as interface with
the GOP and others.

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Camp Management
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11. UNHCR continues to work closely with the Pakistani
military to establish camps for internally displaced persons
(IDPs). The Pakistani military has established sites for
5,000 families (30,000 individuals) in Balakot and Batagram
and 3,000 families (18,000 individuals) in Gari Habibullah.
The Gari Habibullah site needs brush clearance and leveling
before it can be expanded. Thus far, UNHCR has provided the
Pakistani military with 1,000 tents, and approximately 400
tents have been erected. UNHCR has 12,000 tents in
Mansehra, but it will release them and emergency relief
supplies gradually to the Pakistani military, which can
erect about 200 tents a day. The International Medical
Corps has already established basic health units in the
Balakot and Batagram camps.


12. UNHCR is also discussing with the Pakistani military
the establishment of additional camps in Mansehra,
Muzaffarabad, Shangla, and 10 other locations. Since land
is at a premium in the mountainous terrain, camps will be
crowded and need careful planning, especially in the water
and sanitation sectors.


13. UNHCR has had only a small team of its Pakistani staff
in the field; however, with its supply chain in place, UNHCR
will deploy international staff and plans to staff five
locations by October 21. UNHCR has brought in seven
additional international staff members to help with its camp
management activities. UNHCR's primary goals are
organization and assistance to informal settlements and the
provision of tents and emergency relief supplies to those
who want to be located near their destroyed homes. UNHCR
will continue to publicize its efforts to provide camp and
non-camp alternatives to those who have lost their homes.

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Protection
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14. According to the GOP, the National Database and
Registration Authority (NADRA) has been mobilized to
register and collect data and photographs of all injured and
displaced persons, as well as unattended children and women
to ensure their safety and security.

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Logistics
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15. The U.N. Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) is working with
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on logistical
issues. Map Action will be conducting a slope analysis of
earthquake affected areas to determine what terrain can
support tents. On October 20, the logistics cluster meeting
reported that the NATO airbridge has started, and NATO has
agreed to let non-NATO members and U.N. related agencies use
the air bridge on a one-off basis.


16. The USAID/DART was distressed to hear that the U.N.
Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland was calling for a
quote Berlin-style airlift end quote for Pakistan. The
USAID/DART reports that the airports are already congested,
and forward movement from the airports to remote areas is
the main constraint. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
has worked closely with the GOP to ensure the maximum number
of airlifts within the constraints of safety and air traffic
congestion. The number of landing slots available for
helicopters is saturated, and additional airlift capacity
that is not coordinated with the GOP or Pakistani military
could exacerbate the problem. The USAID/DART is trying to
meet with the U.N. to obtain clarification on Egeland's
comments.

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Education
--------------


17. The USAID/DART U.N. Liaison Officer (UNLO) met with the
U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.N. Children's
Fund (UNICEF) to discuss the use of medium and large tents
for clinics and schools. Both organizations were interested
in the USAID/DART's suggestions, and the USAID/DART will
further discuss this option once the needs have been
determined. The USAID/DART is working with USAID/Pakistan
to determine appropriate spaces for these tent schools and
clinics and working with the DOD to provide the large tents
to UNICEF and WHO. USAID/Pakistan sent a three-person
foreign service national (FSN) team to Muzaffarabad to work
with Ministry of Education (MOE) authorities to test the
concept of tents for schools. USAID/Pakistan will expand
the project based upon this assessment.

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USAID/DART Activities in Muzaffarabad - October 19
-------------- --------------


18. As of October 19, two members of the USAID/DART have
established a full-time USAID/DART presence in Muzaffarabad.
The team reported that according to the U.N. Disaster
Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team representative in
Muzaffarabad, all relief commodities arriving in
Muzaffarabad are being helicoptered to affected villages for
distribution. The U.N. stated that relief commodities are
not arriving in Muzaffarabad quickly enough. The team
reported that that the Pakistani Kashmir government has said
that 239,000 tents are needed in the area. [Note. There are
many contradictory figures on the number of tents that are
currently needed. These numbers are unconfirmed. End
Note.]


19. The U.N. reported that all trauma patients in the area
have been evacuated from Muzaffarabad. The USAID/DART
Health Officer (HO) reported that the U.N. believes that the
number of casualties being flown to Muzaffarabad has
markedly decreased in the last day or so.


20. On October 19, representatives of several international
militaries, the U.N., and NGOs planned to meet to discuss
dividing affected areas geographically and to establish
priorities in geographic areas. This plan will be given to
the Pakistani military for approval.


21. The USAID/DART reports that the U.N. will try to place
a U.N. Liaison officer with the Pakistani military in
Muzaffarabad in order to facilitate flights and
coordination.


22. The USAID/DART spoke to a representative of the United
Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID)
who reported that Balakot is completely destroyed. The
USAID/DART Structural Specialist also confirmed this
information at the shelter cluster meeting where the group
reported that the earthquake damaged between 73.5 percent
and 90 percent of Balakot.

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USAID/DART Activities in Muzaffarabad - October 20
-------------- --------------


23. On October 20, the USAID/DART conducted assessments of
the two villages of Doong and Dunna, both located
approximately 40 minutes northwest of Muzaffarabad. The
team reported that there is no running water, and the
villages have not received any relief supplies as supplies
are being distributed to villagers at lower altitudes. In
the village of Doong, there are approximately 300 residents
and 71 houses. Fifteen people were killed by the
earthquake. The only building that is still standing is the
primary school, and students started their first day of
school after the earthquake on October 19. In Dunna, there
are approximately 40 houses, and while the school was
damaged, students have started classes again elsewhere.
AD/W FOR DCHA/OFDA


24. According to the USAID/DART, both villages need
approximately 50 tents each, and local residents reported
that it will start snowing in a month and will continue to
snow in some areas until June. Both villages previously
received water through a pipeline that was disrupted due to
the earthquake. Villagers are now obtaining water from
streams, distribution points, or bringing it back from
elsewhere. The team noted that both villages have some food
and water, but sanitation is now becoming a major issue.


25. The USAID/DART HO reported that at Abbas hospital in
Muzaffarabad, many patients do not want to leave after they
have been treated since they have nowhere to go as their
homes are destroyed. The Abbas hospital will have to shut
down its surgical capacity as there is a lack of bed space.
The USAID/HO noted that doctors are starting to see patients
with respiratory illnesses, and there does not appear to be
any type of disease tracking system in place.

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USAID Airlifts
--------------


26. On October 18, two USAID airlifts of relief commodities
arrived in Pakistan. The two airlifts carried 650 rolls of
plastic sheeting, 5,000 blankets, and 5,000 water
containers. The total value of this assistance, including
transport, is USD 301,750. The relief commodities were
provided to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and will be
delivered to Bisham, Kohistan, and Mansehra.


27. On October 18, a USAID airlift of 20 concrete cutting
saws arrived in Pakistan. The value of assistance,
including transport, is USD 64,617. The saws were given to
Pakistani Civil Defense.


28. According to the USAID/DART Military Liaison Officer
(MLO),as of October 21, the U.S. military has transported
3,124,000 pounds of relief commodities including food,
medicines, tents, water, blankets, and clothes to Pakistan
to assist earthquake affected victims. The USAID/DART has
facilitated the distribution of approximately 15 percent of
these commodities.


29. As of October 20, USAID/OFDA has provided shelter
materials for 67,500 people and blankets for 15,000 persons.
USAID/OFDA has distributed medical supplies for 100,000
people for 3 months to treat injuries and disease. To keep
people healthy, USAID/OFDA is providing water treatment to
supply safe drinking water to 20,000 people every day, water
containers for 15,000 families, and water storage capacity
for 8 communities.

CROCKER