IOM, working with local authorities, the Pakistan Army and
humanitarian partners, this weekend completed a delivery of
winterized tents, plastic sheets, warm clothing, blankets, cooking
stoves, kerosene, hygiene kits, medicine and food to Doba Sayedan -
the village in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PAK) where 27 people
lost their lives last week in landslides triggered by heavy rains
and snow.

IOM Muzaffarabad Rapid Response Team (RRT) staff, who arrived in
a helicopter supplied by USAID on Friday, helped to recover bodies,
provided medical aid to survivors and helped to organize the
distribution of the relief goods to some 350 affected families.

Yesterday the RRT, which is funded by the American International
Group Disaster Relief Fund, helped to evacuate a 27-year-old woman
from the village by air to the AIMS Hospital in Muzaffarabad. Ismat
Batool was suffering from internal bleeding following a
miscarriage.

With the possibility of further rain and snow in the coming days
resulting in more landslides, the authorities are planning a risk
assessment of the area with the help of geologists.

IOM RRTs, which include doctors, rapid assessment experts and
mountain rescue guides also expect to play a role and hope to be
integrated into future disaster response plans drawn up by the PAK
government to cope with future disasters.

On 25 March another landslide in the Neelum Valley hit three
houses in Lilam village killing seven people and injuring four
others. With no road access, the Pakistan Army carried out rescue
operations and provided first aid to the injured.

IOM staff yesterday also travelled to Narran village in NWFP's
Kaghan Valley by USAID helicopter to identify needs of more than 60
families cut off by blocked roads and six feet of snow. IOM will
work with its partners to deliver urgently needed food, medicine
and warm clothing.

IOM RRTs based in NWFP are also supporting efforts to clear
roads to the Allai Valley, which are currently blocked at seven
points by large and small landslides. IOM has provided an
earth-moving excavator requested by the local authorities to help
clear the road from Thakot to the valley.

For more information, please contact:

Saleem Rehmat

IOM Pakistan

Tel. +92.300.8565967

E-mail: "mailto:srehmat@iom.int">srehmat@iom.int