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South Asia Earthquake Update

October 20, 2005

Note: New content has been inserted in red, italicized, bold font.

Table of Contents:

Pakistan .....................................page 2

India .....................................page 17

Pakistan

Overview

The confirmed death toll from the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that was centered near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (PcK) on October 8, has risen to over 50,000, officials estimate the death toll to climb significantly as more areas become accessible and more bodies are pulled out of rubble. The death toll in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) alone has now reportedly climbed to over 13,000 with the districts of Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Shangla and Swat among the worst affected. The quake has left over 74,000 people injured and an estimated 3.3 million displaced or homeless. Nearly half of the four million affected people are in PcK and another 1.3 million in NWFP. Buildings and public infrastructure have suffered serious damage. Over 80 percent of the structures have been destroyed in the affected areas, while continuing aftershocks are threatening the structures that are still standing. The Government of Pakistan (GOP) estimates the cost to rebuild the quake-affected areas to cost US$5 billion. UN estimates the cost of rebuilding the affected areas could run into the billions of dollars over a 5-10 year period.

UN Emergency Response Team manager Andrew Macleod on Tuesday (Oct-18) said that logistical challenges are worse than last year’s Indian Ocean tsunami disaster due to dramatic elevations and a larger geographic area. (Oct-18, Reuters) Search and rescue efforts have officially ended as focus is now quickly shifting to reach out and provide relief to over 3.3 million people that have been displaced or left homeless. With the onset of winter and continuing rains and thunderstorms, concerns are mounting for survivors, many of whom are without shelter, medical care, winter clothes and food. (Oct-14, AP).

The Government of Pakistan (GOP) has called for international assistance to cope with the catastrophic event. GOP has requested helicopters, field hospitals, medicines including typhoid drugs and antibiotics (in syrup form for infants), fracture treatment kits, surgical equipment, disinfectants (for dead bodies), water purification kits and tables, ready-to-eat meals and winterization tents for some four million affected people. (Oct-12, Reuters, OCHA)

The United Nations has revised upward its flash appeal for US$272 million dollars to US$312 million for Pakistan to cover the relief needs of the affected population for a six-month emergency phase (Oct-15, Dawn). The UN has already received US$15 million while another US$45 million have been pledged in response to the flash appeal.

UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan today (Wednesday, October 19) called for a greater world response for the earthquake victims in Pakistan. Annan said the pledges made so far are 90 percent short of needs. He called on international groups such as NATO, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to contribute helicopters, trucks and heavy-lifting equipment. Annan also urged governments and relief organizations to send their representatives “at the highest level” to a donors conference at the UN headquarters in Geneva next Wednesday (October 26). (Oct-19, CNN, Bloomberg)

The UN emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland said today that the death toll from the quake in northern Pakistan could double. He told a news conference in Geneva that the emergency in Kashmir is becoming worse by the day, adding the world is not responding as it should. He urged both India and Pakistan to immediately work out their differences on the delivery of relief assistance. He said although some 60 helicopters were currently flying relief assistance and an additional 20 were in the pipeline, many more helicopters and tents were needed. Egeland said on Friday (October 21) he would seek NATO‘s assistance to launch massive airlift to evacuate possibly hundreds of thousands of earthquake survivors from remote areas of Pakistan before winter. (Oct-20, Reuters)

The United Nations has lifted a ban on publishing high-resolution images of the Kashmir earthquake zone, following pressure from relief workers desperately trying to get aid to stranded survivors in the Himalayan region. The Global Connection consortium that includes Google, National Geographic, NASA and Carnegie Mellon University, hope to use new images to produce detailed maps of the quake area than are currently available. (Oct-20, AlertNet)

Work on reopening damaged roads and bridges continues around the clock, however, for the time being, and helicopters remain the primary means of delivering humanitarian supplies. (Oct-20, IRIN)

A World Bank mission will visit earthquake-affected areas over the next two weeks and prepare a needs’ assessment for the rehabilitation of earthquake victims and reconstruction of infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (PcK) and the NWFP. (Oct-19, DT)

GOP, in conjunction with Asian Development Bank, is planning for the first phase of reconstruction in quake-affected areas. Reconstruction plans will be finalized upon completion of assessments due by November 15. (Oct-20, Xinhua)

The UN and the Red Cross today appealed for more rapid international response for monetary aid, saying that the oncoming winter will soon make relief operations in some mountainous areas impossible. (Oct-18, Reuters)

Logistics and access to affected areas continue to be the biggest challenge for relief operations. The need for more helicopters remains the most urgent priority. There are an estimated 60 helicopters operational and another 19 are in the pipeline. Heavy snow, that is likely to begin in about four weeks, would limit the use of these helicopters. (Oct-17, OCHA)

The UN said there were no reports of epidemics, but said the health infrastructure in affected areas had virtually collapsed. The biggest health concern now are those dying of untreated injuries due to gangrene and major infections. Amputations are reportedly on the rise. (Oct-18, Reuters) Health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have said that disease could break out among survivors because of the crowded conditions, bad weather and the lack of clean water, including cholera, pneumonia and measles, which is endemic in the region.

Jan Egeland, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator who arrived in quake-affected areas in northern Pakistan on Thursday (October 13) is stressing the need for coordination between humanitarian players to effectively help the victims.

GOP is sending civil administrators and a police force from Islamabad and other cities in Punjab to reestablish law enforcement and governance as the quake has claimed the lives of most civil administrators and police in Muzaffarabad (Oct-13, Jang) Police are also helping to direct traffic along roads to major relief hubs, such as Muzaffarabad. (Oct-17, Reuters)

Some 50,000 Pakistani troops in PcK are now being deployed every few kilometers to coordinate relief. The main roads into Muzaffarabad have reportedly been cleared, and there are now efforts to reach Neelam, Jhelum and Leepa valleys in PcK. Relief teams have reportedly arrived in Balakot in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), in Bisham town in Kaghan Valley (Mansehra area), as well as Bagh, Dher Kot and Kahuta areas. (Oct-13, Reuters)

The roads between Mansehra – Balakot, Mansehra – Muzaffarabad, and Mansehra – Batgram are now open for the transportation of relief goods. However, most areas beyond these points remain inaccessible due to damage caused by landslides. Officials fear that continued rainstorms could cause further landslides blocking the roads that have just been opened. Considering the enormous volume of aid being moved risks of bottlenecks and congestion remain high. Large numbers of volunteer groups from across the country are already contributing to traffic jams and road congestion. (Oct-17, OCHA)

Estimates of the number of mountainous villages in the affected area range from 2,000, (UN OCHA) to over 15,000 (WFP) spread over some 30,000 square miles (Oct-19, DFID). GOP has said it will take days to reach some of them. (Oct-18, UN OCHA, Reuters, BBC)

Authorities are now concerned about the onset of winter, which usually begins mid- to late October, prompting the need for heavy tents, blankets, heating equipment and food. Night-time temperatures are already dropping to 43-36 degrees Fahrenheit (6-7 degrees Celsius), and are expected to decrease further this week. The nighttime temperature in the affected areas can historically drop to zero degrees Celsius in October and minus 6 degrees Celsius in November. (Oct-18, Alertnet) Isolated rains are forecasted for today throughout the disputed Kashmir region and eastern NWFP. Remainder of the week should remain sunny. However, weather conditions can change instantaneously in these areas. Humanitarian aid organizations running out of time, as thousands of people could possibly get cut off in the coming three weeks due to snowfall. (Oct-17, Reuters)

UNHCR is in the process of airlifting 20,000 tents, most of which are winterized, from Turkey with airlift from NATO. (Oct-16, VOSOCC) UN Emergency Response Team manager in Islamabad, Andrew Macleod, said there continues to be an acute shortage of tents. Between 260,000 to 500,000 are estimated needed, according to the GOP. (Oct-18, BBC News, AP)

Although the Pakistan military has been largely in charge of rescue and relief operations, coordination mechanisms with humanitarian relief organizations are beginning to take shape. The Pakistani military, in conjunction with NGOs, has reportedly set up a distribution center outside of the town of Batagram from where relief supplies would be flown via helicopters to villages inaccessible by road. (Oct-14, ACT). Information sharing with international humanitarian organizations about national efforts and distribution needs to be strengthened. (Oct-17, OCHA)

GOP has formed a seven-member Civil Services Special Task Force to expedite relief work in Pck and NWFP. The task force will also coordinate foreign relief workers, NGOs and volunteers. (Oct-19, GOP)

The UN has decided to establish 3-5 humanitarian hubs in the quake-affected regions. The first three hubs are being established in Muzaffarabad, Mansehra and Bagh. These hubs will consist of common UN premises which will provide coordination and access to common services to the entire humanitarian community (Oct-15, OCHA)

GOP has reportedly agreed to issue visas on arrival for one month for aid workers arriving in the country. UN has requested these visas to be good for a period of several months. (Oct-15, VOSOCC). Coordination and distribution of relief aid is likely to take the front seat as more aid arrives in the affected areas. (Oct-12, Dawn, Reuters)

GOP has allowed mobile phone companies to provide service in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. (Oct-18, Jang). Indian government has installed free telephone service in Srinagar, and the border towns of Uri and Tangdar in Indian-controlled Kashmir to allow people to contact their relatives in PcK. Telephone service between PcK and IcK was shut down in 1989 following a revolt in IcK (Oct-19, Reuters)

The UN has begun a website to collate damage and relief information at: http://www.un.org.pk/earthquake05/ Currently, there are 1,558 foreign teams engaged in rescue and relief. (Oct-13, OCHA)

Sector Status
Affected Population	4 million people affected; estimated 3.3 million displaced or homeless. (Oct-13, Reuters) UNICEF estimates some 50-60 percent of the dead victims are children and some 32,000 young people had died while another 42,000 were injured. (Oct-18, Reuters)
Coordination	UNOCHA says that with the build up of relief operations, additional coordination staff are needed. (Oct-19, UNOCHA) A UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator will be based in Muzaffarabad as of Friday (October 21). (Oct-19, UNOCHA) The government yesterday (Tuesday, Oct-17) formed a 7-member Civil Services Special Task Force to expedite the relief work in quake-affected areas. According to the GOP, in addition to coordination, the task force will supervise foreign relief workers, NGOs, and volunteers. The task force will work under the Federal Relief Commissioner and facilitate private partners. Saeed Ahmed Khan is chief coordinator; Ishtiaq Ahmed is coordinator for NWFP; Tariq Khosa is coordinator for PCK; Qasim Niaz is coordinator for donor agencies; Arifa Sofi is coordinator for NGOs; Mohsin Rizvi is coordinator for foreign offices; and Dr. Ashfaq is coordinator for health services. (Oct-19, GOP) On October 10 the Pakistani government established the Federal Relief Commission to coordinate rescue and relief operations. Major General Muhammad Farooq Javed, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission will head the Commission. The government has ordered a comprehensive survey of all quake-hit areas for an account of casualties, deaths and property loss, Major General Shaukat Sultan, Inter Service Public Relations director general said. (Oct-18, GOP) Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz launched a 12-point plan for the relief and rehabilitation of affected areas in NWFP and PcK. (Oct-18, Dawn) In his second address to the nation following the earthquake, President Pervez Musharraf said that there was a network of some 45 Army points in place “to extend all-out help and guidance to volunteers for efficient supply of relief goods.” According to the president, there were six major points, three each in NWFP at Mansehra, Balakot and Batgram, and Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawalakot in PcK. (Oct-19, Jang) UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC) is establishing a reception center for relief commodities at the international airport in Islamabad as well as an On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) in Muzaffarabad in PcK. A Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) has been set up within the UNDAC/UN coordination centre. (Oct-14, UNOCHA) The Rapid Village Assessment process has been launched by the HIC. The process is intended to provide humanitarians with a multi-sectoral overview of conditions and needs. (Oct-17, UNOCHA) The HIC is working on establishing a database on the needs of thousands of villages. The forms used for a rapid survey of the affected areas was developed by the HIC with the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team. The simple forms can reportedly be completed in minutes and provide a snapshot of shelter, health, education, water and sanitation needs. (Oct-20, IRIN) An Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) has been established to rebuild infrastructure. Lt. Gen Muhammad Zubair, engineer-in-chief of the Pakistani Army has been appointed chair. (Oct-17, Dawn) The Emergency Response Centre in Islamabad says that the government has agreed with the suggestion by UN Humanitarian Coordinator Jan Egeland that aid workers should be given visas on arrival for a period of a few months. The GOP reportedly has agreed to do so for one month. (Oct-15, ERC) The UN will create between 3-5 humanitarian hubs in NWFP and PcK which will consist of common UN premises to provide coordination and access to common services of the aid community. The first three will be established at Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Mansehra. (Oct-15, VOSOCC) UNOCHA says two additional hubs are being considered at Balakot and Batagram to improve coordination at the field level. (Oct-19, UNOCHA) The UN Country Team will open five offices in Muzaffarabad, Mansehra, Bagh, Balakot and Batagram, which will serve as hubs for the humanitarian community. (Oct-14, UNOCHA) International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is operating out of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (PcK) while the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society (IFRC) is working in the rest of the country. ICRC says that activities planned will be carried out through a joint logistics network being coordinated from Islamabad, with an advance base in Abbottabad. Another base will be set up in Mansehra. The ICRC has launched a website to help people contact relatives: http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/epi (Oct-11, Alertnet) WFP plans to set up five base camps in the hardest hit locations to coordinate relief operations, with inter-agency telecommunications and logistical support.
Logistics	UNOCHA is urging logistical support as capacity to respond needs to be increased substantially. Relief efforts are constrained by lack of helicopters. (Oct-19, UNOCHA) UNOCHA says logistical challenges of reaching affected population in inaccessible areas is overwhelming. Access to about 40,000 sq km is difficult with landslides affecting what was already a poor road infrastructure. (Oct-19, UNOCHA) India says it is waiting for Pakistani proposals on how to allow Kashmiris to cross the Line of Control (LoC) after welcoming Pakistani President Musharraf’s suggestion of opening up the LoC. (Oct-20, AFP) The UK Department for International Development (DFID) says that the restoration of road links was likely to take weeks. DFID reports some 80 helicopters operational with more in the pipeline. (Oct-20, DFID) Some civilian flights are being redirected to Lahore and Karachi as congestion at the civilian airport in Islamabad is increasing. (Oct-20, DFID) WFP Executive Director James Morris says that reaching the victims of the disaster was turning out to be one of the toughest aid missions ever. (Oct-19, AFP) A UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) cell has been created within the UN Coordination Centre in Islamabad together with the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) antenna. (Oct-14, UNOCHA) United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) is based in the WFP Afghanistan Liaison Office in Islamabad alongside the UNHAS. The unit comprises 4 main cells: Logistics, Air, Civil Military Coordination and Information. UNJLC expects to deploy to Muzaffarabad, Peshawar and several other base camps soon. (Oct-17, UNJLC) UNJLC has established a Coordination Cell at the Chaklala airport at Islamabad. (Oct-17, UNOCHA) Pakistani army and relief agencies are beginning to use mules to deliver relief to areas where helicopters cannot reach. (Oct-18, AP) The first three flights from the joint NATO-UNHCR airlift has left Incirlik airbase in Turkey on Wednesday (Oct-19) carrying more than 25 tons of relief. The joint operation will ferry some 860 tons of aid from UNHCR’s regional warehouse in Iskenderun. (Oct-19, UNHCR) UNHCR and NATO have joined together with the government of Turkey to airlift hundreds of tons of relief supplies from Incirklik airbase in Turkey to Pakistan. So far, a total of some 11 C-130 planes have been offered from the UK, Italy, France, Turkey and Greece. The Turkish government has offered 40 trucks to ferry supplies. (Oct-18, UNHCR). A main road leading into Jhelum valley in PcK was reopened by Pakistani army bulldozers on Monday (October 18), allowing relief into previously inaccessible areas. However, Pakistani Major-General Jawed Aslam Tahir, who is in charge of air relief operations, says that 50 percent of Neelum Valley has not been reached with relief aid and will take another week to 10 days to become accessible. (Oct-18, AFP) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have set up a joint logistics structure in Islamabad to support the operations of the Red Crescent Movement. (Oct-12, Reuters) Eight US military helicopters (five CH-47 Chinooks and three UH-60 Blackhawks), in coordination with the Government of Pakistan (GOP), have already begun flying relief supplies to affected remote areas in Pakistan inaccessible by road. Two Navy H53s helicopters are due to arrive from Bahrain, while two Navy SH-60s are due to arrive in Pakistan by Thursday (October 13). Three-dozen additional US military helicopters from units around the world have been identified as available to send to Pakistan. These helicopters are likely to be transported to the region aboard military aircraft. Japan has supplied three helicopters for the relief effort. (Oct-17, Dawn) Two helicopters from the German Federal Army are assisting in dropping relief and evacuating wounded in the affected areas. (Oct-12, DPA) Afghanistan has sent four Mi-17 helicopters. WFP is bringing in 10 helicopters to assist with the relief operations. Two have already arrived. These will be managed by the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS). (Oct-12, OCHA) WFP is deploying 4 15-tons trucks to Islamabad airport for local transfer and handling of goods. (Oct-12, OCHA) United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is bringing in 5 double cab trucks to be managed by WFP and available for the humanitarian community. (Oct-12, OCHA)
International Financial Assistance	UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland says that the UN has some US$86 million pledged towards the UN appeal, which is roughly one-fourth of what is needed. (Oct-20, UN) UN has appealed for US$312 million for earthquake survivors in Pakistan. Only US$45 million has been pledged with US$15 million actually contributed, the UN says. A donor’s conference is scheduled for Monday (October 24) at the UN headquarters in Geneva to raise additional funding. (Oct-17, HT)
Food	Pakistani government says high energy biscuits or high energy food needed Over 1 million people still need food according to OCHA. (Oct-19, UNOCHA) WFP says 500,000 people had received enough food for several days, but that “time was running out” with winter approaching. (Oct-18, WFP) ICRC will provide food assistance as well as shelter and other materials to enable some 150,000 victims to survive the winter. (Oct-18, ICRC) An estimated 439,000 people have received rations. UNOCHA says food rations have been sufficient to cover needs for only several days and that an estimated 50-60% of the food insecure population is yet to be reached. Coverage is expected to improve over the next few days with the arrival of additional trucks and helicopters. WFP using mules and horses to circumvent landslides in Muzaffarabad. (Oct-17, UNOCHA) The WFP says it is planning on providing ready-to-eat food for 1 million people for one month.
Water and Sanitation	Pakistani government says water purification tablets are needed (Oct-12- UNOCHA) WHO says national relief teams are addressing sanitation needs and latrines are being dug in major settlement areas. (Oct-19, WHO) Federal Relief Commissioner, Major General Farooq Ahmed says that water supply was improving in the major towns of NWFP and Kashmir. (Oct-18, DPA) CARE International, Intersos, Tearfund, International Medical Committee, Alisei, American Rescue Committee, ACTED, JEN and Merlin are assessing and coordinating in this sector. (Oct-17, UNOCHA) THW has installed two water treatment plants in Muzaffarabad and Balakot which are producing 250,000 liters a day, to supply 17,000 people. IFRC will bring two more plants for Balakot and Batagram. The GOP and UNICEF, is transporting 4 plants to Muzzafarabad. (Oct-17, UNOCHA) UNICEF will set up two field offices to oversee coordination of WATSAN in Mansehra and Muzaffarabad. UNICEF and Islamic Relief are planning to run a water filtration and emergency sanitation project for Muzaffarabad and are aiming to reestablish the entire water system in the town. (Oct-14, UNOCHA) UNICEF has received 250,000 sachets of pure water disinfectant, while a further 1 million sachets have been ordered. USAID is bringing two water treatment plants and so is the NGO, THW (Technische Hilsfwerk). Oxfam has a plane arriving with WATSAN supplies. (Oct-14, UNOCHA) Two water and sanitation units, from Austrian, German, and Swedish Red Cross Societies are being mobilized.
Public Health/Medical	A joint WHO/Ministry of Health operations center has been established in Islamabad to coordinate health efforts. (Oct-12, WHO) The