UN System in Bhutan and Department of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs
UN System in Bhutan and Department of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs Joint Monitoring Mission Report (18 September Earthquake) Samtse, Chukha, Haa and Paro 26-29 February 2012 1. Background The September 18th Sikkim earthquake affected several families and public activities in Bhutan causing damages to homes and community infrastructures. The earthquake resulted in 15 casualties, including one fatality. All dzongkhags in Bhutan suffered varying degrees of damages to homes, social infrastructure, including health and educational facilities, administrative offices, dzongs, lhakhangs and choetens. A Joint Rapid Assessment Team composed of members from RGoB (DDM-MoHCA, Doc-MoHCA, MoE, MoH), UN System (UNDP BCPR, UN OCHA, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP and WHO) and World Bank undertook field assessment on 6-12 October in Paro, Haa, Chukha and Samtse (the most affected districts). The assessment estimated that 62 percent of all residential structure damaged and over 87 percent of residential structure damaged beyond repair were in Haa, Paro, Chukha and Samtse Dzongkhags.1 The majority of the damages to 12 Dzongs, 320 Lhakhangs, 111 Chortens, 110 schools, 36 hospitals/BHUs/ORCs, 27 RNR Centers and 40 Geog Centers/Gups Offices were located in these most affected dzongkhags. All casualties took place in Haa and Chukha Dzongkhags. The People’s Welfare Office of His Majesty (Gyalpoi Zimpon’s Office), RGoB, local administrations, RBA and doesung/volunteers provided support to the affected families in forms of kidu grant, food, timber, transportation and workforce, especially in erecting temporary shelters. In response to the RGoB’s appeal to the UN System for immediate support of CGI-sheets, winterized school tents for schools and dignity kits on 22 September 2011, the UN system in Bhutan mobilized emergency cash grant of US$ 50,000 (UNOCHA), US$ 1.6 mln.(CERF-Rapid Response Grant) and US$ 75,000 (UNDP-BCPR Trac 1.1.3.).
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