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 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶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. -------------- Death Tolls -------------- ¶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. -------------- Health 
 -------------- ¶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. -------------- Food -------------- ¶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. -------------- 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. -------------- Camp Management -------------- ¶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. -------------- Protection -------------- ¶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. -------------- Logistics -------------- ¶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. -------------- 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. -------------- -------------- 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. -------------- -------------- 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. -------------- 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