8th October 2005: Devastating Earthquake in South Asia strucks Pakistan



he confirmed death toll from the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that was centered near Muzaffarabad, the
capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (PcK) on October 8 stands at over 73,000 in Pck and in NWFP, while the unconfirmed death toll has climbed to over 86,000.  (Nov-8, AP, Dawn)  Over 79,000 people injured and estimated 3 million displaced or homeless.  The earthquake affected nine districts in total: Abbottabad, Batagram, Mansehra, Shangla, and Kohistan in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Muzaffarabad, Neelum, Poonch and Bagh in PcK. 

Example about the ongoing process ( 12th Dec. 2005):

Water and Sanitation

Forty percent of overall population and 90% of camp population receiving safe water. 4,000 latrines installed, 60,000 in the pipeline. (Dec-12, OCHA) UNICEF and the Ministry of Environment mark a new partnership with a memorandum of understanding and a website (www.pakquakecommunication.org) to spread awareness in affected areas about hygiene, safe drinking water, sanitation, and waste management.  (Dec-5, GOP)

***** More information you’ll find at:
  www.humanitarianinfo.org

This website , the “HIC”

• Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) for Pakistan is a common service to the humanitarian community managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and operates in co-ordination with a number of partners including the United Nations Joint Logistics Cell (UNJLC), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). 
• Inside, under „water/sanitation cluster“ you’ll find an example of our field work during our mission in Pakistan Oct./Nov. 2005
  „Minimum Requirements for health care waste Management in affected Areas“
  
  http://earthquake05.un.org.pk/uploaddocuments/511Min%20Requi%20Health%20Care%20Waste.pdf
  
  The Waste management team ( WMT) was send in the field by OCHA/UNEP
  (secondments by SRSA & SHA/SDC:
    www.deza.admin.ch
  
  Members of WMT were:
  Leif Jönsson, Sweden
  Jürg Zaugg, Switzerland

• More about Leif you’ll find at
    www.envive.se/index_eng.html
• More about Jürg you’ll find in the other pages of this website
  (- sorry - most in German…)
• In the main part of my website you’ll also found a “Thank You” to our Swiss customers, because it is not easy, to interrupt ongoing process’ and projects.
  Jürg of U-TECH ZAUGG leaves 48 h after contacting by SDA and OCHA/UNEP to the affected area in Pakistan for more than 20 days!

Lessons Learnt in Waste Management (relief phase): See attached examples

Response