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Pakistan: IOM pledges long term help for Pakistan earthquake survivors

The International Organization for Migration is committed to working closely with the Pakistan government for the long term reconstruction of earthquake affected areas, according to IOM Director General, Brunson McKinley.
Director General McKinley, in Islamabad to take part in an international donor conference on Saturday, described the reconstruction challenge as "immense" and added his voice to calls from UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and others for a commensurate response from international donors.

"During the emergency phase we have experienced excellent cooperation and developed a first class working relationship with the Pakistani Federal Relief Commission and the military on the ground. We need to carry this forward into the reconstruction phase," he said.

"IOM's track record of high quality modular transitional shelter construction in Aceh and Sri Lanka following the tsunami testifies to the fact that we can make a significant contribution to rebuilding homes, clinics and schools in the devastated area," he added.

Over the past five weeks, IOM has led the IASC Emergency Shelter Cluster, an international coordination mechanism that provides a forum for all relief agencies providing emergency shelter to earthquake victims.

The cluster is designed to compile accurate data on which agency is delivering what, where and to whom to identify priority needs. It also acts as a think tank and an important interface with the Federal Relief Commission - the main government agency charged with the earthquake response effort - on policy and technical issues.

At the same time IOM has delivered over 5,000 tents, 75,000 blankets and 2,000 shelter repair kits comprising tools, corrugated iron and plastic sheets, wire, nails and other items to some of the remotest areas of the Muzaffarabad, Batagram and Bagh districts.

This week British Chinook helicopters airlifted over 180 tons of IOM shelter repair materials into villages above 5,000 ft in the Upper Neelum Valley, where landslides have cut off all road access.

As the first snows arrive in the high valleys, IOM deliveries of tents and shelter repair materials ordered and in the pipeline are also accelerating. The first of 1,500 winterized tents ordered in October were airlifted by NATO from Incilik airbase in Turkey to Islamabad last night. IOM expects to take delivery of a further 8,000 shelter repair kits and 5,000 tents in the next two weeks.

Director General McKinley, who will visit Batagram and the upper Neelum valley on Sunday, will address a press conference in the Margalla Room at the Marriott Hotel, Islamabad at 4.00 pm on Monday 21 November 2005. All media are invited.

For further information, please contact Chris Lom at IOM Islamabad. Email: clom@iom.int. Tel. +92.3008560341.