The last few weeks of intermittent rain and snow has not resulted
in a large-scale movement of survivors in Pakistan’s quake
zone and many have decided to stay at their high-elevation homes by
setting up temporary shelters with corrugated galvanized iron (CGI)
sheets.

Despite harsh weather conditions with temperatures falling to
subzero levels below 5000 feet during the nights and snow
blanketing the land above 7,000 feet, IOM provided shelters are
giving hope to people refusing to leave their lands.

“IOM has given us CGI sheets and kits to build shelters
and the Pakistan Army and other organizations have provided food
items. We have no plans to move out of this area where we have been
living for ages,” says Zaheer of Raj Pattian, a village
situated at more than 7,500 feet above Balakot.

Zaheer and his family are not alone. There are 750 families in
Raj Pattian and the surrounding areas who are surviving in
temporary shelters and winterized tents amid snow and ice. So far,
IOM has provided the Pakistan Army over 2,000 CGI sheets and 425
winterized tents for distribution in the high-altitude Balakot
villages of Raj Pattian, Jabra, Mang, Sarash, Hangrai and Sat
Bani.

“We are familiar with the severe cold and we won’t
leave our land and livestock behind by moving down the mountains.
This is all we have,” says Ghulam Jilani, who had lost his
house in the Oct. 8 earthquake and now lives in a tent covered with
plastic sheets in Raj Pattian.

IOM has continued to advance its shelter winterization programme
to the areas below 5,000 feet around Balakot by distributed 771
winterization kits donated by the Department for International
Development (DFID-UK) in Narra and Hassa villages; and 1,000
tarpaulins, 1,000 blankets and 100 kitchen sets have been given to
the 39th Cavalry Battalion of the Pakistan Army for distribution in
high-altitude villages during the last two days.

“We will also be providing stoves and warm cloths to quake
survivors. Jackets, scarves, head covers and books will be given to
children and sweaters and jackets will be given to elderly
people,” says IOM Balakot sub-office Coordinator Zeleam
Mengistu.

IOM has already donated 10 big tents to High School Mang
situated 10 kilometres away from Balakot city and will soon provide
the furniture, uniforms and special exercise books required for the
250 students of the school.

Continuing with its free transport facilities for those in
Balakot tehsil, IOM has provided 3,067 jeeps to the Pakistan Army
and NGOs for moving relief goods. In addition, nearly 78,000
passengers have travelled on 11 buses that IOM has been running
since 1 January 2006 between Balakot and nearby towns.

IOM’s counter-trafficking programme received a boost on
Thursday when the US Permanent Mission in Pakistan confirmed a
100,000 USD donation to help prevent counter-trafficking activities
in the earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan.

For further information, please contact:

Saleem Rehmat

IOM Islamabad

Tel: + 92 300 856 0341

Email: "mailto:srehmat@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">srehmat@iom.int