Pakistan, India - Earthquake: OCHA Situation Report No. 6

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2005/0162

OCHA Situation Report No. 6
South Asia (Pakistan and India) - Earthquake

Pakistan

A Flash Appeal amounting to approximately USD 272 million was launched on 11 October to cover life-saving and early recovery projects for the first 6 months.

Situation

1. According to the information provided by the Government of Pakistan, the current estimate of casualties amounts to approximately 33,000 people. There are 120,000 people in urgent need of shelter, and up to 4 million could be left homeless.

2. One of the key challenges in meeting the needs of the affected population is access, which is severely hampered by landslides. Most affected areas are accessible only by helicopters, although some works to clear the blockages on the roads has been ongoing and some roads have been reopened. Currently it takes 6 to 7 hours to reach the affected areas from Islamabad by land. Therefore, the immediate priority over the coming days will be to ensure access and delivery of urgently needed assistance to the affected population.

Flash Appeal

3. A Flash Appeal amounting to approximately USD 272 million was launched on 11 October to cover life-saving and early recovery projects for the first 6 months. Lead agencies have been appointed for each of the clusters to help ensure good coordination. The projects included in the Flash Appeal will be developed further and adjusted as assessments are carried out and more precise information becomes available.

4. The Flash Appeal will cover the priority needs of the affected population for the next 6 months in shelter (winterized tents, plastic sheets, thick blankets, mattresses, heating equipment); nutrition (pre-cooked or canned food (Halal), high energy biscuits, survival rations); field hospitals and medicines (antibiotics, typhoid medicines, first aid and surgical kits); water provision equipment and water purification tablets; and transport (heavy load helicopters).

Rapid Assessment in Muzaffarabad

5. According to the UNDAC team in Muzaffrabad, almost all of the buildings that did not collapse show major cracks in the walls. Approximately 70% of the city is destroyed. The remainder is uninhabitable. People are sleeping outside their houses under the open sky in very cold weather. All the shops are either damaged or closed and people have no access to food with most supply lines disrupted. Injured people could not reach hospitals due to inaccessible roads/tracks. Many are waiting to be evacuated. The conditions in hospitals are inadequate to meet needs of the affected population. The danger of epidemic diseases increase day by day. The retrieval of bodies and arrangements of burials are ongoing.

6. Based on initial estimates, 90,000 people (90%) are affected directly in the city of Muzaffarabad. In rural areas the estimated number of severely affected people stands at 70%, i.e., 700,000 people who are in need of immediate assistance.

7. Muzaffarabad can be reached by land from Mansehra and via the Muree-Islamabad road. Roads are open from Abbottabad to Mansehra. Some relatively small trucks carrying NGO items were reported to be moving to the affected areas by land.

8. After a two-hour suspension due to torrential rainstorms 10 October, helicopters are in action again to ferry relief goods to affected areas. Search and rescue efforts are underway, but expected to be scaled down tomorrow.

9. Aerial reconnaissance has revealed that the town of Chivar Khas has suffered at least 60% property damage. The only viable access is by helicopter as road access is badly affected by landslides. The town of Bagh was found to have suffered severe damage to at least 70% of properties. The town of Rawala Kot appears to have suffered severe damage to at least 50% of properties is inaccessible by road.

Immediate Needs in the Muzaffarabad

10. First priorities are: public health, medical supplies, water and sanitation, shelter, food and non-food items. A 250 beds field hospital is required in addition to what has been already provided by ICRC and Russia.

11. There is a need for 15,000 tents for the city and 116,000 for rural areas. Tents should be winterised in view of cold weather and snowfall in mountainous region. NGOs are currently providing some tents, including 500 tents provided by the Islamic Relief.

12. Food is immediately needed for 15,000 families in the city and 116,000 in the rural areas. Food should meet the nutritional requirement of the family. The traditional food, particularly wheat flour, rice, milk, sugar, pulses (beans) and cooking oil. At present there is no electricity in the area and cooking is also a severe problem, therefore, cooked food for half a month will be needed.

13. Water is in great need as all water supply systems are destroyed. Water tankers (vehicle driven) and temporary storages in the town are needed. There is a need for 10 water tankers, 100 water reservoirs of 10,000 gallons and jerry cans (two for each family).

14. Six blankets per family are needed for 15,000 families in the city and 116,000 in the rural areas.

15. A few medical teams arrived but they are short of supplies. In view of the vast damage to the hospitals and emergency medical facilities, there is a need for a large number of doctors and support staff with adequate medical supply. These figures should be incorporated in the next report.

International Response

16. Most Search and Rescue (SAR) teams arrived on 10 October and were dispatched to the different locations, including schools, banks and commercial and private residential houses where the locals have detected voices calling for help within the city of Muzaffarabad. As of evening of 11 October, 11 people were rescued from the rubble. Search and rescue efforts are expected to be downsized starting from tomorrow.

17. The UNDAC has established the On-site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) to serve as a centre for the coordination of activities and movement of all SAR teams in Muzaffarabad. A Reception Centre has also been established at the Helipad Area to coordinate the arrival of subsequent SAR Teams. The surrounding villages will be assessed on 12 October.

Other Developments

18. In addition to the information in the Situation Report No.5, these are the new developments concerning the Search and Rescue teams:

- Chinese teams are operational in Muzaffarabad;

- Spanish teams are operational in Bagh;

- Swiss Rapid Response Team is on the way to Abbottabad;

- FOCUS Humanitarian search and rescue have a team in Rawalakot and Muzaffarabad;

- German teams (military, THW and ASAR) have been deployed to Muzzaffarabad.

20. The World Food Programme (WFP) is currently hiring an aircraft to deliver food aid. The World health Organization (WHO) has deployed 11 surgical teams and one public health team to the affected areas. Joint OCHA/WHO shipment contains 60 cold climate tents, 3,600 blankets, 1600 jerrycans, 5 water storage containers, 2 generators, 216 family kitchen sets, 1 water purification unit (all donated by Italy), and from the WHO stocks: 5 emergency health kits A, 5 emergency health kits B, and 5 New Emergency Health kits. Cargo is expected to reach Islamabad today. Another OCHA shipment containing 6,760 quilted blankets, 150 tents, 6 plastic rolls, and 5,240 emergency drinking water kits with filter donated by Norway is expected later today.

India - Jammu and Kashmir

Situation

21. Official reports confirm 946 deaths and 4,386 injuries. Damage assessment reports state that 32,335 buildings collapsed. Essential services of communication networks and infrastructure facilities have been disrupted.

National Response

22. The Indian Government has not requested international assistance.

23. The army, air force and local volunteers conducting relief and rescue operations are assisting the affected district administrators. The immediate focus is on providing food, shelter, medicines and medical care. The Directorate of Health is coordinating medical relief and has deployed 21 medical response teams.

24. The Prime Minister has released INR 1 billion (approximately USD 23.14 million) for immediate relief work and assistance.

25. The Latest information on projects and funding for the Flash Appeal, and for the emergency overall, can be found on the Financial Tracking Service (http://ocha.unog.ch/fts/reports/reportlist.asp?section=CE&record_ID=688).

Further information on earthquake appeals and funding is available on ReliefWeb (http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc105?OpenForm&rc=3&emid=EQ-2005-000174-PAK).

26. OCHA 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: South Asia (Pakistan, India): Earthquake - Situation map (PDF format, 602 KB)

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