Balochistan Earthquake Response Plan 2008 Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Pakistan Balochistan Earthquake Response Plan 2008 - 2 - Balochistan Earthquake Response Plan 2008 INDEX 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 2 CONTEXT AND NEEDS ANALYSIS 6 3 HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES AND NEEDS ANALYSIS 7 4 RESPONSE PLANS 9 4.1 Emergency Shelter 9 4.2 Health 14 4.3 Food 21 4.4 Logistics 23 4.5 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) 25 4.6 Education 30 4.7 Nutrition 34 4.8 Early Recovery 38 4.9 Protection 40 4.10 Agriculture and Livestock 43 4.11 Coordination 45 5 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 48 6 CONTACT INFORMATION 49 7 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 50 - 3 - Balochistan Earthquake Response Plan 2008 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude struck Balochistan Province in south-western Pakistan early on the morning of 29 October 2008. The authorities have confirmed that 166 people were killed. The districts of Harnai, Pashin and Ziarat were hardest hit. An inter-agency assessment team deployed to the area in the days after the quake has reported that 3,487 houses in these three districts were destroyed completely, with an additional 4,125 partially destroyed. The team estimates that just over 68,000 people were affected by the quake and are in need of assistance. Aftershocks have continued to be felt in the affected area. With winter about to set in, and nighttime temperatures already dipping below freezing, there is an urgent need to provide a range of assistance to the affected population. The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has indicated that priority needs include emergency shelter and healthcare in the affected areas, and that logistical support will also be required, in line with the report of the inter-agency assessment team. The assessment team and food cluster partners have also stressed that food assistance will be essential. Other sectors where urgent interventions are required are Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Education, Nutrition, Early Recovery, Protection and Agriculture and Livestock. The Government, UN agencies, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and NGOs have been responding to needs using contingency stocks and stocks diverted from other programmes. The assistance of the donor community is now urgently needed to ensure that the current response can be sustained and scaled up as required, as winter sets in. Working in close collaboration with the Government of Pakistan, and following best practices in humanitarian coordination, the IASC Country Team, under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, has prepared this coordinated Balochistan Earthquake Response Plan 2008, seeking a total of US$19,015,981 to cover the identified and estimated needs of a caseload of approximately 68,000 persons affected by earthquake of 29 November 2008 and needing immediate assistance over a period of six months. [The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has already committed $987,396 while $999,947 is under process for approval to this response plan, leaving unmet requirements of $18,127,985] The appeal has been prepared in consultation with National Disaster Management Authority and endorsed by both provincial and federal authorities. - 4 - Balochistan Earthquake Response Plan 2008 PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE PLAN 2008 Summary of Requirements – By Cluster Cluster Full Requirements CERF Funding Unmet Requirements US$ US$ US$ (Based on CERF approval to date) Emergency Shelter 6,989,300 886,923 6,102,377 (approved) Health 2,300,000 374,947 2,300,000 (under process for approval) Food 2,000,000 - 2,000,000 Logistics 663,176 150,000 663,176 (under process for approval) Water, Sanitation 2,000,000 200,000 2,000,000 and Hygiene (under process for approval) Education 1,000,000 75,000 1,000,000 (under process for approval) Nutrition 841,200 100,000 841,200 (under process for approval) Early Recovery 1,500,000 - 1,500,000 Protection 350,000 100,000 350,000 (under process for approval) Agriculture and 1,000,000 100,473 999,427 Livestock (approved) Coordination 371,805 - 371,805 Total 19,015,481 987,396 18,127,985 - 5 - Balochistan Earthquake Response Plan 2008 2 CONTEXT AND NEEDS ANALYSIS An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude struck Balochistan Province in south-western Pakistan early in the morning of 29 October 2008. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the quake was in the Chiltan Mountains, 80 kms northwest of the provincial capital – Quetta. The first tremor occurred at 04:09 local time (23:09 GMT), at a depth of 10 km, while a second followed at 05:15. The area in question is a mountainous one. Of the seven districts of Balochistan Province affected, Ziarat and Pashin were hardest hit. Neighbouring Harnai District was also affected. The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) reported that damage was most severe in the village of Wachan Kawas and adjacent localities in Ziarat District. A series of aftershocks are continuing till the date of compilation of this appeal. Temperatures are already below zero at night in affected areas and significant snowfall is anticipated within first week of December. This, and the poor economic and social indicators in Balochistan Province before the quake struck, means that timely interventions by humanitarian responders crucial. The Provincial Government has announced open access to the affected areas, but have requested that foreign nationals moving into the affected areas keep the relevant authorities informed. It is expected that access to certain areas will be hindered by snowfalls. Local civil and military authorities responded promptly to the earthquake. Army and Civil Armed Forces (CAF) units were dispatched to the affected area for search and rescue operations. As of 4 November, a total of 26 government medical teams had been deployed. Military vehicles and aircraft have been a key part of the relief effort. Food packs, medicines and tents and NFIs have been sent to the area from stockpiles around the country. The Government has formally requested the United Nations and humanitarian community to assist with the provision of 10,000 emergency winterized shelters, food assistance for 20,000 people and clean drinking water for 24,000 in the worst-affected districts of Ziarat and Pashin. UN agencies have carried out a rapid assessment of the earthquake’s impact (part of the Multi Cluster Rapid Assessment Mechanism, or McRAM). Six teams from WFP, UNICEF, WHO and IOM visited 63 villages in Pishin, Ziarat and Harnai districts from 1-5 November. Considerable assistance has also been provided by UN Agencies, NGOs and other humanitarian partners. On 10 November WFP reported that it had almost completed distribution of food rations to 15,000 people in Ziarat District as well as another 5,000 in Pishin District. WASH Cluster partners are providing clean drinking water to 24,000 people. Routine immunization has been completed in four out of ten affected Union Councils in Ziarat District, where 9,346 children have already been immunized. Health Cluster partners have also established a Disease Early Warning System at the field level. Emergency Shelter Cluster partners have provided approximately 4,000 tents to the affected population, and are now focusing providing transitional shelters, upon the request of the Government of Pakistan. - 6 - Balochistan Earthquake Response Plan 2008 3 HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES AND NEEDS ANALYSIS The NDMA reported on 4 November that 166 people were confirmed dead following the earthquake. The McRAM survey estimates that just over 68,000 people were affected and are in need of assistance in the three worst-hit districts of Balochistan: District Completely Partially Total houses Population affected (%) destroyed destroyed damaged Harnai 278 370 648 6,549 (10%) Pishin 956 2,294 3,250 27,021 (40%) Ziarat 2,254 1,460 3,714 34,630 (51%) Total 3,487 4,125 7,612 68,200 (100%) The NDMA reports that 7,000 to 10,000 individuals have been displaced, with 1,500-2,000 houses destroyed. A local NGO, Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP), reports that up to 70,000 individuals have been affected and that just over 10,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed Recurring aftershocks have prompted some people to move to safer places. The remaining population is living in tents or partially damaged houses. The McRAM survey indicates that 96.2% of affected households have remained on their own property, with 2.1% staying with host families and the remaining 1.7% staying in communal centres, schools or camps. With temperatures already very low in the high altitude region and likely to get lower as winter approaches, the UN inter-agency assessment determined that the urgent needs of the most affected populations include winterised tents, blankets and warm clothing, food, provision of health services and restoration of local drinking water supplies. The NDMA has established a strategic focus group including four cluster heads (Emergency Shelter, Food, Health and WASH) and the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator to coordinate the earthquake response. The NDMA has specifically requested assistance with the provision of shelter materials and healthcare, as well as logistical support, and agencies involved in this appeal have therefore prioritized interventions in these sectors. 95% of all tents already distributed or currently in the pipeline for distribution are non-winterized and therefore inadequate for the conditions already being faced. This will become more of a problem as the weather worsens. The Government of Pakistan has requested 12,000 transitional winter shelters for the affected population. The NDMA has set 1 December 2008 as the deadline for the provision of transitional shelter, before the winter sets in. Failure to provide shelter by this date has the potential to provoke mass displacement and possibly initiate a second wave of deaths due to the harsh winter in the area.