IOM has dispatched 150 tool kits to help families whose homes were
damaged by flash floods caused by heavy rains in northern
Pakistan's Swat region last week.

The floods destroyed homes in the Babuzai, Charbagh, Kabal,
Khawazakhela and Mingora Tehsils of Swat – an area already
affected by poverty and conflict-induced displacement. 

The toolkits, which were sent at the request of government and
partner agencies, came from an IOM emergency stockpile. Each
includes a shovel, pickaxe, adze, hammer, nails, pliers, pincers,
chisel, wrench, trowel, hand saw, gloves, nylon rope, binding wire
and a packing bag.

"The kits were sent to Mingora, the capital of Swat, and will be
distributed to 150 affected families identified by district
government in Charbagh, Landiklass and Banr union councils of
Charbagh Tehsil," says Brian Kelly, Head of IOM Pakistan's
Emergency and Stabilization Unit.

IOM has appealed for USD 11 million over the next six months
under the Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2010 to help
families displaced by military operations in northwest of
Pakistan.

The IOM appeal includes funding to provide emergency shelter for
returning vulnerable families; reconstruction and development of
essential community infrastructure affected by military operations;
security awareness training for the humanitarian community; mass
communications and disaster risk management programming with local
government.

For further details, please contact:

Saleem Rehmat

IOM Islamabad

Tel. +92-300-856-0341

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