Pakistan Earthquake 2005

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

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British contribution for earthquake relief

Overview

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale (and at a depth 10 kilometres) hit at 08.50 Pakistan time (03.50 GMT), on 8 October 2005 with the epicentre in Muzaffarabad, 95 km north-northeast of Islamabad; a highly populated region. The earthquake covered an area of approximately 30,000 sq. miles and affected nine districts in Pakistan in total: Abbottabad, Batagram, Mansehra, Shangla, and Kohistan in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Muzaffarabad, Neelum, Poonch and Bagh in Pakistan Administered Kashmir. The latest death toll in Pakistan has reached 73,318, with 69,392 injured. One British citizen was killed. Around 3.5 million people have been affected (500,000 families) and nearly 2.5 million people have lost their homes. In India official reports indicate that there were 1,307 deaths and 4,500 people injured. Estimates are that up to one million people have been affected across four districts. The Indian government has not called for international assistance.

The government of Pakistan continues to distribute compensation packages; 100,000 rupees (£1,000) for loss of life and 25,000 rupees (£250) for loss of house. A target of full compensation reaching those above 5,000 feet within 7-10 days has been set, with maximum coverage hoped for by the end of November 2005. Until now, some 25% of the affected population has been successfully reached.

The ‘Preliminary Damage and Needs Assessment’ produced by the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank, estimated that Pakistan will need almost $5.2 billion for relief and reconstruction.
A donor reconstruction conference was held on Saturday 19 November in Islamabad at which the international community pledged more than $5.8 billion.

DFID pledged a further £70 million towards reconstruction; this is in addition to the £33 million already pledged (of which £31.6 million has been committed), bringing the total UK contribution to over £100 million.

The extra funding secured at the conference has allowed the Government of Pakistan to increase its compensation budget from 20 billion Rupees to 80 billion Ruppees.

The Islamabad donors’ conference

The conference provided an opportunity for international donors including all major donor countries, the United Nations and the international financial institutions, to come together and discuss how the international community should support the government of Pakistan in meeting the long-term reconstruction needs of its people in the aftermath of the earthquake. Whilst at the conference Gareth Thomas formally announced a further £70 million from the UK government to help with the humanitarian relief and long term reconstruction in the wake of the disaster. (This additional funding was announced by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for International Development, on Thursday 17 November). Overall the conference yielded commitments of US$5.8 billion from the donors present; US$1.9 billion in grants and ‘aid in kind’ and $3.9 billion in concessionary loans.

UK, France, and Germany have all pledged more than US$100 million each;
USA and Saudi Arabia have each pledged over US$500 million each;
EU Member States (excluding EC funding) totals over US$700 million;
EC pledges reached US$100 million;
the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) pledged around US$2.5 billion (mostly in the form of loans).
UK funds have provided:

14 flights carrying 900 tonnes of relief supplies including 40,000 sleeping mats, 30,000 tarpaulins, 27,230 wool blankets, 19,700 jerry cans, 3,500 winterised tents, 3,150 rations, 50 Global Positioning System units, 13 vehicles, 2 forklift trucks and a Humanitarian Information Centre to the affected areas;
a further 20,000 tarpaulins and 2,000 winterised tents released to NGO partners from DFID stocks in Lahore;
over £7 million towards the UN Flash Appeal, including support for the UN Air Service to maintain airlifts;
over £3 million to the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement;
£3 million for the use of three RAF Chinook helicopters which have been transferring casualties to Islamabad and flying aid into the region. These have airlifted 329 tonnes of relief supplies and carried out 151 medical evacuations;
over £4 million for 72 aid flights in support of the following organisations: British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, Merlin, World Vision, Oxfam and Save the Children;
78 flights in support of the following DEC organizations: Oxfam, Merlin, Save the Children, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, World Vision, and Islamic Relief;
DfID Secondments to a variety of organisations: HIC Liaison Officer (OCHA), Air Operations Expert (UN Joint Logistics Centre); 2 Shelter Experts (IOM); 1 Civ/Mil Officer (OCHA Military Civil Defence Agency); 1 Logistician (WHO); 4 Military Logistical Planners (UNJLC); 1 GIS officer (OCHA); 1 Air Ops (UNHAS); 2 Water Supply Specialists (UNICEF); 1 Senior Site Planner (UNHCR).

In collaboration with the Ministry of Defence:

Three military CH-47 Chinook helicopters, partially funded by DFID, made operational as of 28 October. The helicopters will carry out humanitarian assistance flights for 30 days (until 27 November) throughout the affected area.

The UK’s approach is to use its Presidency of the EU to encourage our EU partners to be as generous as the UK in their aid to earthquake victims. The donor conference provided an opportunity for the UK Minister, Gareth Thomas MP, to continue engaging with high level EU counterparts on further funding for both the humanitarian relief and long term reconstruction, with very good outcomes. He pressed for high level attendance at the high level roundtable he hosted during the conference and consistently encouraged EU partners to donate generously, helping to secure the commitments that came to total US$5.8 billion.

Likewise the Secretary of State has been continually committed to engaging with EU partners to increase their commitments, and is working to ensure that the relief effort stays at the top of the agenda in Europe. At the European Union Informal meeting of Development Ministers on 24 October 2005, the Secretary of State urged those present to respond generously to calls for funding. He has since written to those Development Ministers to again urge them to do more as winter sets in. DfID has also been lobbying donors more widely in Capitals.

In addition, the Prime Minister wrote last week to Heads of Governments in the European Union to request them to respond generously to both the reconstruction and the continuing relief needs. We have stressed the need for additional logistics support, especially to ensure sufficient helicopters are available, alternative shelters as well as tents, field medical teams and support to water and sanitation. It was also on the agenda of the GAERC meeting in Brussels on 22 to 23 November 2005, where Gareth Thomas used the opportunity to again encourage donors to respond generously to appeals for funding.

The overall international response is more than adequate, compared with the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. During the donor conference on 19 November 2005, substantial funding pledges of US$5.8 billion were made by the international community to help Pakistan recover from the devastation it faces. These are pledges and actions which President Musharraf himself said would “never be forgotten”. It is now important that donors ensure that money pledged becomes money available on the ground.

The Preliminary Damage and Needs Assessment produced by the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank, estimates that Pakistan will need almost $5.2 billion for relief and reconstruction. This is made up of $3.5 billion to replace damaged and destroyed buildings and infrastructure, and $1.7 billion for continuing relief and to restore livelihoods. The current donations of US$5.8 billion surpass the World Banks figure, and we are confident that the UK government has done, and will continue to do, all it can. We have pledged some £103 million, we have provided hardware and expertise, and we are prepared to give further help if needed.

Throughout the crisis, DfID has continually urged other donors to increase their support at this critical time; calling for funding for the emergency humanitarian needs as well as the longer term reconstruction effort. DFID is doing all it can to ensure that money is being spent and turned into practical help on the ground for those who need it.

More information is available through the following channels:

Updates can be found on the DFID website: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/emergencies/pakistan/default.asp

Information on how to help can be found at:

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/emergencies/default.asp

Donations made and further information on the Disasters Emergency Fund website:

http://www.dec.org.uk/

Information on financial pledges and who is giving what:

http://ocha.unog.ch/fts

Source: Rob Marris MP

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