ISLAMABAD, 7 October 2006 - The devastating South Asia Earthquake of 8 October 2005, measured 7.6 on the Richter scale. In less than six minutes, 73,000 people died, including 35,000 children, and around 3.5 million people were made homeless. Three hundred thousand (300,000) internally displaced persons (IDPs) were forced to flee their villages to live in army and government-managed camps and informal settlements. Rugged and often inaccessible Himalayan terrain, covering more than 30,000 square kilometers, made the natural disaster response the most difficult in the international relief community's living memory.
"The South Asia Earthquake can sincerely be lauded as a blue print for natural disaster response. While we are proud to have been part of one of the world's best aid efforts, helping to give life-saving support to 3.5 million people, let us not rest on our laurels. This has been a textbook effort but the IDPs we continue to serve tell us that the job is not over yet. Substantial humanitarian needs remain, and a predictably harsh Himalayan winter is just around the corner," said Kirsten Zaat, the Norwegian Refugee Council's (NRC) spokesperson in Pakistan.
There are around 40,000 IDPs still living in government-run camps and an unverifiable number of informal settlements remain. Six hundred thousand (600,000) homes have been damaged or destroyed in the earthquake. Land and property compensation challenges continue to present as one of the main obstacles preventing IDPs from returning home. While local reconstruction efforts continue apace, in remote and rural areas assessed by NRC, notable shelter gaps continue especially in the Kaghan and Allai Valleys where approximately 8,000 shelters are required to ensure that at least 56,000 people have a roof over their heads during the fast approaching winter.
Resurrecting the education system remains particularly challenging. One thousand eight hundred (1,800) teachers died and over 6,000 schools and educational facilities were either fully or partially destroyed leading to a complete education standstill in some areas. A frequent absence of education has meant that displaced families are often unwilling to leave camps to return home. There is a growing expectation amongst IDPs that quality education must be forthcoming upon their return to northern Pakistan.
NRC responded within two days of the earthquake. More than 12,000 tents were pitched and 5,500 durable and dignified family shelters were built. Hundreds of thousands of non-food items including tarpaulins, mattresses, blankets, quilts, jerry cans, buckets, cooking utensils, warm clothing and hygiene kits benefited almost 540,000 affectees with US$7 million in support of NRC shelter and camp management activities from the United Kingdom (DFID), Norway (MFA), the European Commission (ECHO), the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) and private Norwegian donors. NRC's shelter activities continue, and with UNHCR's imminent departure, NRC will now play a primary role in supporting the Government of Pakistan in meeting its ongoing responsibilities to IDPs through transitional settlement measures.
NRC has also provided earthquake-related legal assistance to 8,700 IDP clients on 11,190 registered cases, of which 5,382 land and property disputes have been solved thus far. Counseling services have also been offered more than 2,100 times to ensure IDPs are regularly kept informed of their rights. NRC's non-adversarial mediation and advocacy has been made possible with a generous US$600,000 from ECHO.
In the last 12 months, NRC has re-established and supported 56 primary and 61 secondary schools in the Battagram district, increasing the local school enrolment rate there by 35 per cent. NRC has also provided temporary school tents, emergency sanitation facilities, health and hygiene promotion, school materials, and tent maintenance. Ongoing training ensures that 590 teachers (113 primary and 477 secondary), 250 Parent and Teacher Association members and 150 district managers, principals, local NGO and village representatives are better equipped in emergency preparedness, and planning and management with a special focus on increasing the enrolment of girls. Norwegian State Oil Company, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the United Nations Children's Fund, Help Pakistan and private Norwegian donors have generously provided approximately US$900,000 in support of NRC's education activities.
At this juncture in the response, NRC calls upon the Government of Pakistan, the United Nations and the broader response community to engage in timely local level contingency planning which takes into consideration the vast and varied geographic scenarios earthquake affected areas present. Donor funding should be set aside in case of a second winter emergency. The robust level of coordination that ensured the success of the 'Winter Race' should be revived. A redoubling of accountability to beneficiaries through community consultations needs to take place.
NRC supports the Government of Pakistan's approach to the Earthquake as an opportunity to "build back better" through adequate resourcing and development in previously neglected areas. In the interests of promoting durable solutions to displacement, NRC calls upon the government to endorse transitional shelter that can be constructed quickly to meet immediate needs. Designs that use locally available resources should be rapidly approved before it is too late to meet the end of autumn deadline.
NRC believes that investment in the education sector in remote areas is a priority at this time. Education is a legitimate pull factor, which can entice displaced people back to their villages where protection mechanisms and coping strategies are more robust. Remote, rural areas must be prioritised in an attempt to ensure non-discrimination of service delivery and prompt longer-term development.
NRC seeks to remind the Government of Pakistan and the international community that the earthquake response is more than an act of charity or goodwill. Displaced persons have a right to adequate housing, and a progressive right to education. The choice to return home or to resettle elsewhere must be informed, safe, dignified and voluntary. At all times the right to reside in any location within the sovereign state of Pakistan must be upheld as long as doing so is in the best interests of displaced persons, and does not hamper the rights of host communities or threaten the welfare or security of the nation.
"Last winter we got it right. We all worked together to save the lives of literally millions of people devastated by a natural disaster few of us were prepared for. We worked as a formidable team helping around 90 per cent of IDPs get back home after the winter in the interests of rebuilding shattered lives and upholding the security, dignity and integrity of a generation. While people the globe over commemorate humanity's great loss on 8 October and consider some true achievements, let us all remember the task ahead is still enormous. Durable solutions that protect the people of northern Pakistan from ongoing and further displacement must be identified now. In order to get it right this time, we must all build upon last year's significant lessons learnt and listen to and be guided by displaced people themselves," said Zaat.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Kirsten Zaat, Regional Protection and Advocacy Advisor
Mobile: +92 (0) 300 811 6501
E-mail: RPA@nrcafpk.org
Zartasha Qaisar Khan, Team Leader - Media Section
Mobile: +92 (0) 300 858 3261
E-mail: icla.MediaSectionPk.TL@nrcafpk.org
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
