One Year On: IOM Aids 10.3 Million Pakistani Flood Victims, But Massive Needs Remain
IOM has reached over 10.3 million of the 18 million people affected
by the 2010 floods which devastated vast swathes Pakistan a year
ago, damaging and destroying some 1.7 million homes.
But massive needs remain and IOM is appealing for an additional
USD 3.6 million to launch a targeted multi-sectoral response to
help the most vulnerable families affected.
Over the past 12 months, IOM, which led the humanitarian
response in the shelter sector, has distributed emergency shelter
to 2.76 million people; provided logistics support to the
government and aid agencies, including consignment and processing
of 39 relief flights and over 1,000 truckloads of aid; provided
health services to over 120,000 people; and disseminated
life-saving humanitarian messages to 7.1 million people.
"This has been one of the largest disasters ever and our teams
have achieved a tremendous amount," says IOM Pakistan Chief of
Mission Hassan Abdel Moneim Mostafa.
"But it is heartbreaking to see the huge needs that remain.
Across the country, most people who lost their homes are still
living in tents, health facilities are not fully functional and
people have yet to re-establish a source of income," he adds.
IOM is currently targeting 37,000 households (some 259,000
people) to help them to construct durable, flood-resistant one-room
shelters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1,100), Sindh (23,000) and Punjab
(13,000) provinces.
Some10,400 homes have already been completed, with funding from
the US Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), the
European Commission Office for Humanitarian Aid and Civil
Protection (ECHO), the Government of Japan and the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA).
The project follows the Early Recovery Guidelines developed by
the inter-agency Shelter Cluster and endorsed by the National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Housing Early Recovery
Working Group (HERWG).
After a successful pilot at the beginning of 2011, IOM decided
to provide cash transfers rather than material support to help
affected families. This allowed beneficiaries to choose what
materials to buy and the shelter design as well, putting much
needed income into local supply chains.
The project is community-driven and targets the most vulnerable
families in each community. Groups of beneficiaries are organized
into village councils. Each council nominates a focal person to
receive cash support from the project and this person distributes
it to all the beneficiaries. Payment is in tranches and is paid
once the entire group has achieved a construction milestone, such
as digging or building the foundations of their new homes.
Mohammad Saleh is building a shelter for his wife, three
children, mother-in-law and grandmother in Mir Ahmed Khan Bijarani,
district Kashmore, in northern Sindh. The village council is
helping them to build the shelter so that the whole village will
receive its next tranche of funding.
He received PKR 25,500 (USD 300) from IOM and says that he found
technical training provided by IOM and implementing partner Sewa
Development Trust Sindh (SDTS) very useful.
"I learnt new techniques including the use of cement mortar in
walls and plaster to increase water resistance. The better the
foundations and the plastering, the less likely the building will
be damaged in the next rains," he says.
IOM is also restoring key community infrastructure damaged in
the floods and restoring livelihoods through a small grants
programme, specifically targeting women and small businesses.
Meanwhile, IOM medical staff are continuing to provide primary
health services, referral services and information to around 10,000
patients per month in the worst flood-affected areas.
In addition, IOM is partnering with the government to prepare
for future disasters, including supporting the establishment of an
Early Disaster Warning System in Sindh, pre-positioning shelter and
non-food relief items, and leading the contingency planning process
for shelter, as well as camp coordination and management.
A Recovery from Floods, a family's survival story, can
be viewed at:
"http://www.iom.int">www.iom.int
For more information, please contact:
Helen Seeger at IOM Islamabad
Tel: +92 308 520 47 05
E-mail:
"mailto:hseeger@iom.int">hseeger@iom.int
or
visit IOM Pakistan Flood Response on Facebook at:
"http://www.facebook.com/pages/IOM-Pakistan-Flood-Response/144782588874579"
target="_blank" title=
"">http://www.facebook.com/pages/IOM-Pakistan-Flood-Response/144782588874579