Pakistan - The 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Pakistan and Afghanistan last October resulted in loss of life and damaged over 100,000 houses.

While tremors were felt as far as New Delhi in neighboring India, it was Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) that were the worst affected areas in Pakistan.

As part of the Natural Disasters Consortium in Pakistan, IOM has now initiated a recovery programme to support affected communities.

IOM will be working together with Heritage Foundation, a local NGO partner, on a pilot project for 200 households in Shangla district. It will include shelter assistance; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) intervention; and distribution of cooking stoves.

The shelter strategy is based on the ‘Build Back Safer with Vernacular Methodologies’ developed for IOM Pakistan’s One Room Shelter initiative and adapted to respond to the vulnerabilities of the affected population. 

The models have been tested at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi. The testing went beyond the magnitude of the huge 2005 Pakistan earthquake. Materials used included mud bricks, lime in render and bamboo, along with binding wire, steel plates and bolts for anchoring the roof.

Following the testing, a four-day “safer shelter” training workshop was organized this week in Mansehra for artisans, local government officials and community members from affected communities.

The artisans will work directly with communities and will train beneficiaries to ensure implementation of safer shelter construction techniques. Nineteen artisans will be certified as master trainers, and will take a leading role in delivering trainings for households in areas severely affected by the earthquake.

For further information, please contact Ammarah Mubarak at IOM Pakistan. Tel: +92 51 230 7841; Email: amubarak@iom.int