Three days of heavy rain have delayed a
planned IOM evacuation of 1,025 earthquake-affected families from 23 villages
in Muzaffarabad tehsil in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The villages are
considered to be at high risk from landslides and floods during the monsoon
season.
"This is a new emergency as monsoon
rains have arrived early this season," said Muzaffarabad Commissioner
Sardar Nawaz. "It seems rains will continue and things will get worse."
The Camp Management Organization (CMO) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir asked IOM to provide transport to relocate families living in so-called "red zones" following a joint assessment survey carried out by a British geological team, the Pakistanmilitary and the Pakistan Geological Survey. Another 355 families are expected to need transport from Hattian tehsil.
"The situation is critical with camps flooding with rainwater," said John Sampson, acting head of IOM sub-office in Muzaffarabad. "We have 15 vehicles ready and 25 on standby, but we can't begin relocation of people until conditions improve in the camps."
The seven camps where these families will be settled include Dherian Saidan, Thori, Tariqabad, Maira Tanolian-III, Khatpura, Narrul-II and BMS-Chela in Muzaffarabad district.
More than 300 families have already left the red zone areas on their own, fearing the upcoming bad weather.
IOM, along with UNHCR and UNICEF, is holding daily meetings with the CMO to assess the situation in camps and begin early evacuation of families at risk. If the weather improves and the CMO gives the go-ahead, IOM is expecting to start the movement of approximately 100 families tomorrow.
For more information, please contact Saleem Rehmat, IOM Islamabad, Tel. +92.300.8565967. Email: srehmat@iom.int.