South Asia earthquake: what we are doing

11 April 2006

Latest news | How you can help | Background and current situation overview | DFID response to date | Press releases and situation reports | Further information | Useful links

Latest news

• 8 April 2006 Investing in the future: The Pakistan earthquake six months on
• 24 November 2005 Press Release: Hilary Benn announces £25 million more aid for Pakistan Earthquake Relief
• 17 November Press release: £70 million for post-earthquake reconstruction in Pakistan to be pledged by UK 
• 29 October Press release: Hilary Benn announces £3.5 million to continue Pakistan aid airlift as winter approaches
• 25 October Hilary Benn visits Pakistan

How you can help

• Donate to theDisasters Emergency Committee (DEC) online appeal.
• Find out more about how you can help in an emergency
• Doctors wishing to make their own way to Pakistan can utilise Pakistan International Airlines' discount fares. The passenger reservations department are offering net fares to doctors and relatives of victims. These can be accessed through the reservations office (tel: 0800 587 1023).
  Once in Pakistan they should contact Dr Nasima Jogezai in the Ministry of Health who is coordinating the deployment of foreign medical human resources. His telephone number is (+ 92) (0) 300 512 1568.
• Guardian: What UK charities are doing

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Background and current situation overview

Background

• 7.6 earthquake (depth 10 kilometres) hit at 08.50 Pakistan time (03.50 Greenwich Meantime (GMT)), on 8 October 2005 with the epicentre in Muzaffarabad. Area affected approximately 30,000 square miles.
• 3.3 million people affected (500,000 families). Nearly 2.5 million people have lost their houses. 2.3 million people are food insecure. (Government of Pakistan/World Food Programme (WFP))

Current situation overview

Key issues

• Since 10 March, around 151,000 displaced people, 55% (ESC) to 63% (UNHCR) of total camp residents, have left camps to return home.
• The UN's Relief to Recovery Action Plan, which may include some bids for funds for the next 12 months, is due to be launched on 8th April (OCHA)

Shelter

• A number of vulnerable families are expected to remain in (or come back to) camps until winter 2006 or beyond, as landless, land tenure disputes and access route are tackled. (DFID Field Team)

Water and Sanitation

• The focus remains on provision of water and sanitation services in areas to which displaced people are returning, where around 1,500 water supply systems need rehabilitating. UNICEF plans to cover 2/3 of these. (DFID Field Team)

Food and Nutrition

• Food distribution was severely disrupted by the cartoon protests and rain, though WFP has now reached over 85% of their allocated beneficiaries

Health

• The Government of Pakistan has produced a health strategy, through some key issues remain unclear www.erra.gov.pk  (WHO)

Air Operations

• The UN country team has agreed to extend 12 helicopters until end August 0, though will start charging for some passenger and special flights (UNHAS)

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DFID response to date

• DFID has committed £53.3 million out of a total £58 million pledged. £70 million has also been pledged for reconstruction over three years. UK total aid pledged is £128 million. See Annex 1 (27 kb) for details.

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Further information

• For further information contact our Public Enquiry Point on 0845 300 4100 or e-mail enquiry@dfid.gov.uk
• For media enquiries contact 020 7023 0950 or 020 7023 0600 or e-mail pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk
• Foreign & Commonwealth Office website - for advice on how to contact friends and relatives. The British High Commission in Islamabad has established a consular desk in Islamabad airport to provide immediate assistance to British nationals who may have travelled to Pakistan in response to the earthquake.
• RedR are coordinating applications from skilled volunteers.
• Government of Pakistan
• 15 September 2005: DFID Press Release: Benn welcomes new emergency response fund pledges - Six countries, including the UK pledge over $150 million to a new United Nations emergency fund that will help deliver aid faster when humanitarian crises hit.

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Useful links

• United Nations' ReliefWeb - information on emergencies and natural disasters.
• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
• European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• World Food Programme (WFP)
• United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)

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