Pakistan Earthquake 2005

Covering the earthquake, the damage and the relief work in Pakistan.

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Archive for June, 2006

Quake-hit areas face massive landslide threat

The World Conservation Union (IUCN), the World Wide Fund (WWF) and CARE International are predicting a serious environmental hazard in the earth quake- affected areas and have issued an alert bulletin highlighting the threats for the up coming monsoon season.

Environmentalists are saying that the unstable earth, resulting from the earthquake, may cause massive landslides and loss of life and agricultural land in the event of heavy or extended rains. According to Dr David Petley of University of Durham it was probably the greatest landslide threat in the world.

Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) for Pakistan

The 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 (OCHA) and operates in coordination 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).

The HIC provides a range of services and products designed to help organisations to make operational decisions during the emergency period. These include orientation products (including contact lists and meeting schedules), map products (covering issues from administrative boundaries to security concerns) and technical advice to organisations to help them manage data and information more effectively.

Normal life returning to quake-hit areas: WHO

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) country representative in Pakistan Dr Kahlif Mohammad Bile has said that revival of normal life has begun in the earthquake-hit areas of Pakistan and said that joint efforts of world health bodies were going on in this regard.

He was addressing the handing over ceremony of 12 prefabricated basic health units (BHU) in the quake-hit districts of the NWFP to the provincial government at Ayub Medical College on Saturday, a press release stated.

Dr Bile said that all pre-fabricated units were equipped with the latest machinery, furniture, a vehicle and an ambulance along with three months stock of medicines.

Australia Contributes A$20 Million to ADB’s Pakistan Earthquake Fund

The Government of Australia, through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), has made an A$20 million contribution to Asia Development Bank’s Pakistan Earthquake Fund (PEF).

The PEF was established in November 2005 to pool and promptly deliver emergency grant financing for projects that support immediate reconstruction, urgent rehabilitation, and other associated development activities in earthquake-affected areas in the country. ADB made an initial contribution of US$80 million to the fund.

“We are very grateful for this contribution from the Government of Australia, which will be used for the much needed reconstruction of education and health facilities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir damaged by the earthquake,” says Werner Liepach, Principal Director of ADB’s Office of Cofinancing Operations.