Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Pakistan

Pakistan: Floods/Cyclone OCHA Situation Report No. 8


This situation report is based on information received from the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority, the National Disaster Response Advisor of OCHA in Pakistan, the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Clusters and media sources.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Figures confirmed by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as of 09 July 2007
Balochistan
Sindh
Total
Deaths
135
111
246
Missing
157
29
186
Displaced
100,000
(to be revised)
107,400
207,400
Affected
2,000,000
150,000
2150,000
Districts Affected
19
5
24
Villages Affected
5,000
1,170
(to be confirmed)
6,170

Detailed report of damage of all types will be available within four weeks.

Balochistan

1. According to the Provincial Government the worst affected districts continue to be Sibi, Bolan, Jhal Magsi, Jaffarabad, Naseerabad, Turbat, Kharan, and Gwadar. Due to lack of logistical inaccessibility to Chaghai, one of the largest districts in Pakistan, there is no reliable estimate of the damages and relief requirements. Agriculture land and standing crops have been destroyed in areas of the Khuzdar district.

Sindh

2. The situation in Shahdadkot still needs attention. Around 350,000 acres of land and 34,000 acres of cultivated land have been inundated. However, the NDMA reports that Shahdadkot affected people have been moved to a safe place away from the floodwaters.

3. Unconfirmed reports from the media claim that 50 more villages in Sukkur district have been flooded in the early hours of 9 July when three breaches occurred in the Right Bank Outfall Drain. More than 200 cattle-head and stocks of grain were also washed away with the strong current. Some of the affected villages include Dur Mohammed Machi, Kando Wah, Mubarak Khoso, Ali Bux, Ali Hassan Chandio, Kolachi, Khadim Chandio and others.

NWFP

4. Heavy rains have also hit Pakistan's North West Frontier Province claiming the lives of 22 people. The deaths occurred in northern NWFP, in the remote Kohistan District, after heavy rains on 8 July triggered landslides and flooding in the area. Casualties were also reported in villages around the main town of Kohistan District, Besham, about 275km northwest of Islamabad. Three refugee camps near a river have been flooded. UNHCR has provided sand bags to Khazana, Hajizai and Azakheil camps to strengthen their protective walls against future flooding.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

5. In a press briefing on 9 July, the NDMA reported that Utility Stores Corporation has procured water purification plants to be installed in Balochistan. Fresh water is being provided to the Coastal Belt through naval ships.

6. In addition to the announced immediate relief of Pakistan Rs 15,000 (USD 250) for each affected person by the President, the government had earlier announced a relief package of Rs 200 million each (USD 3 million) for both Sindh and Balochistan provinces.

7. The Provincial Government of Balochistan has sent 16 wagons of relief items (containing wheat flour, sugar, edible oil, milk, pulses, biscuits, dates, soap, blankets and salt) by train to Sibi, Naseerabad, Jhal Magsi, Jafferabad and Bolan. 62 trucks of relief items have been sent to Kharan, Khuzdar and Mustang districts in Balochistan.

8. The Ministry of Health has sent 4 medical teams (130 persons) to Jaffarabad Nasirabad and other districts in Balochistan. The Provincial Government said that electricity will be restored in Khuzdar and Kharan today, in Pasni and Gwadar by 12 July and Sibi districts by 18 July. The Government of Balochistan has requested the Punjab government to arrange 50,000 tents for flood victims.

COORDINATED ASSISTANCE (International and National)

Assessments

9. The helicopter assessment missions are back in Karachi and Quetta from their field trips and the teams are in the process of finalizing their reports.

10. In Balochistan an assessment team visited Kharan and Khuzdar districts and met with District Authorities, the military commander, and local communities.

11. Yesterday, an helicopter assessment mission from Karachi flew over Gwadar and passed the Mirani Dam, observing that the dam was broken in one place. The team also visited the camp zone where people are building shelters with the scarce resources available. The team observed that the living conditions were hard with no water and sanitation facilities available, and lack of functional health structure.

12. The NDMA has agreed that IFRC and the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) should focus on assessing and designing any gap-filling interventions required for the Turbat, Jhal Magsi and Kharan districts in Balochistan, and Kambar district in Sindh. In the meantime, the PRCS assessment teams in Turbat, Baluchistan province have completed initial assessments. The teams have identified food/non-food and medical needs for approximately 24,000 people in the unions councils of Nodez and Nasirabad in Kech district.

13. The team leader of the PRCS assessment team has reached Quetta and has been integrated into the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) joint assessment team.

Cluster Activities

Shelter Cluster

14. The following agencies are active, or have expressed an intention to assist if needed: Concern, Oxfam, Save-UK, Islamic Relief, CRS, Focus, Malteser-Acted, ARC, HAI, CWS, NRC, SPO, IFRC-PRCS, Mercy Corps, SPO, World Vision, Taraqee, Premiere Urgence. The 'Who, What, Where' (3W) mapping process was supposed to be consolidated at the Shelter Cluster coordination meeting today in Islamabad.

15. The Shelter Cluster is focusing on mapping 'Who's doing What Where', standards and preferred contents of non-tent shelter kits, Strategic Operational Framework for Shelter and Flash Appeal allocations.

16. Sindh authorities have expressed the wish to re-locate approximately 15,000 displaced people currently housed in collective (school) sites to 'huts'. No external assistance is needed in achieving this temporary measure.

17. A joint Technical Working Group has been proposed to articulate technical standards and specifications for sub-sectors such as environmental sanitation, emergency shelter and drainage, with other sub-sectoral areas such as adobe reconstruction to be covered later.

18. In a meeting with the Governor of Balochistan and UN Agencies in Quetta today, the Governor made a specific request to UNICEF for tents for the flood affected areas.

19. UNHCR and partners are stepping up inter-agency relief efforts in the flood-affected refugee-hosting areas of Pakistan as the waters start to recede. By the end of this week, more than 250 tons of emergency supplies from stocks in Peshawar are expected to be transported to Quetta. More shelter and household items will be distributed through Islamic Relief, Mercy Corps and the local authorities to mixed communities in Dhadar, Bolan and Kharan districts.

Food Cluster

20. According to WFP, 594 Mt of food for the month of July has been allocated for three severely affected districts Jal Magsi, Jaffarabad and Kharan in Balochistan to be distributed in the NDMA designated priority areas.

21. In Noshki district, 10.8 MT of food has been distributed to 1,200 people of three union councils. The distribution was monitored by WFP.

22. In Sibi district, food distribution among 336 families has been completed. Food distribution to 114 families of Sangan, 50 families of Kathmandane and 100 families of Badra will be completed on 10 July.

Protection Cluster

23. In Quetta, a Protection cluster meeting was chaired by UNICEF Protection Officer. So far there is no information on the vulnerable population. NGOs were asked to provide details of the agencies' area of operation for the 3W matrix. Participating International and national NGOs will prepare a draft Code of Conduct for the Protection cluster which should be finalized in the next protection meeting.

24. According to UNICEF, it is estimated that Three out of four people affected by the floods are children and women. At least 300,000 of the affected children are under five years old and are particularly at risk of infectious diseases, epidemics and poor nutritional status. Save the Children is responding to the needs of around 60,000 children that have been left homeless and vulnerable by Cyclone Yemyin and the ensuing heavy rains.

Health Cluster

25. WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is working to strengthen the Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) activated in Karachi. A similar approach is to be replicated in Quetta.

26. WHO reported that the Fatehabad road route in Nasirabad district is impassable but medicines such as life saving drugs and Anti Snake Venom have been supplied by foot. WHO will share with the NDMA a form for information collection of the agencies' health teams working in the field.

27. In Balochistan, helicopters are required to search for dead bodies in areas where roads have been destroyed. More medical camps and vaccinations are needed in Kamber, Shadadkot and Dadu to avoid possible epidemics.

28. UNFPA has sent 500 Hygiene Kits each to districts Thatta, Larkana and Kambar. CARE International's mobile teams have started working in Badin.

29. Pakistan Red Crescent Society teams are working in Kamber Shahdadkot, and Karachi. They have dispatched 2 tons of medicines and 3,000 food parcels to Turbat via road from Karachi. Their teams are also planning to go to Kharan within the next three days.

30. MSF has offered to supply Water Treatment plants and is coordinating with the NDMA to identify priority districts.

31. A Merlin team has departed from Quetta for Jhal Magsi with stock of primary health care medicine for 10,000 people for six weeks. They will coordinate through the Provincial Health Department.

Water and Sanitation Cluster

32. To date the WATSAN Cluster is operating - in Islamabad and Quetta.

33. The WATSAN cluster meeting in Quetta, co-chaired by the official from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and WES/UNICEF, indicated that out of the total 363 water supply systems damaged in the affected districts of Balochistan, 50 have been fully restored while another 152 were partially restored.

34. The Public Health Engineering Department has submitted a proposal to UNICEF for the water supply systems in the Sibi district, worth Rs 7.5 million (USD 121 million). Drinking water will be provided from the nearest water source (13 km away) and will be a permanent solution to clean drinking water, covering the whole district.

35. As of today UNICEF is supporting provision of water through water trucks to a total 85,500 people. This number will reach around 115,000 by the end of the week.

36. The water bladders that were handed over to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) are installed and are functional at Bagh Head, Jaffarabad. Jerry cans and water purification tablets have also been handed over to the PDMA and are being distributed in said locations.

37. WATSAN cluster is participating in the jointassessment missions in Sindh and Balochistan Provinces.

Education Cluster

38. According to UNICEF, 857 primary schools have been affected by the floods in Punjgoor, Washuk, Sibi and Khuzdar districts.

Information Management

39. The Who What Where reports are currently available at:

Contact Report:

http://3w.unocha.org/WhoWhatWhere/contactReportFwt1.php?uSite=ocha_ap_pk&repId=2&groupByFields=sector&country=&admin1Id=&admin2Id=&admin3Id=&admin4Id=&organizationType=&organization=&officeType=&office=&responsibility=&sector=&privacyStatus=0

Project Report

http://3w.unocha.org/WhoWhatWhere/projectReportFwt1.php?uSite=ocha_ap_pk&adminLevel=2

Project Matrix Report

http://3w.unocha.org/WhoWhatWhere/projectMatrixReportFwt.php?uSite=ocha_ap_pk&adminLevel=2&outputType=1

For detailed information please contact:

Desk Officer (New York)
Ms. Heidi Kuttab
Office Tel: +1 917 367 33 65
Office Fax: +1 212 963 36 30
Email: kuttab@un.org

GCMS (Geneva)
Ms. Guadalupe de Sousa
Tel: +41 22 917 4336
email: desousa1@un.org

OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Mr. Rajan Gengaje
Regional Disaster Response Adviser
Office Tel. +66-2288-2572
Office Fax +66-2288-1043
Mobile + 66-8-1916-1271
Email: Gengaje@un.org

Press Contact: (NY)
Ms. Stephanie Bunker
Office Tel : + 1 917-367-5126
Office Fax: + 1 212-963-1312
Email: bunker@un.org

(GVA)
Ms. Elizabeth Byrs
Tel + 41 22 917 26 53
Fax + 41 22 917 00 20
E-mail: byrs@un.org

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.