IOM and the United Nations Population Fund have signed an agreement
to rebuild healthcare facilities in earthquake-affected areas of
Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PAK) and North-West Frontier
Province (NWFP).

The agreement, endorsed by Hassan Abdel Moneim Mostafa, IOM
Regional Representative for West and Central Asia and Dr France
Donnay, Representative of UNFPA in Pakistan, will focus on the
construction of prefabricated units to provide easily accessible
healthcare facilities to communities living in remote and
high-altitude areas.

According to latest data, 60-80% of health facilities were
either partially or totally damaged by the October quake.

"With this generous contribution by UNFPA, I am sure that the
construction of healthcare facilities by IOM in disaster-stricken
areas will help raise the quality of life for the affected people,
whose lives were shattered by the earthquake," said the IOM
Regional Representative.

The project will ensure building of a Tehsil Headquarter
Hospital including staff residence in Batagram and five Rural
Health Centres including staff residences in Oghi, Nawaz Abad and
Kawai union councils of NWFP and Kohari and Danna union councils of
PAK.

The construction of five Basic Health Units in Talhata, Judbah
and Kandar Shagai areas of NWFP and Chakoti and Kohala areas of PAK
as well as 150 small medical centres run by women health workers
across the earthquake-affected region will also be completed under
the project.

"UNFPA is proud to partner with IOM, an agency recognized for
its rapid response to the October 2005 earthquake. This new
partnership will be instrumental in bringing life-saving health
services for mothers and newborns in the earthquake-affected
areas," said the UNFPA Representative in Pakistan.

This latest accord is a follow-up to a cooperation agreement
signed in Geneva by UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid
and IOM Director-General Brunson McKinley in July 2006, which
focused on addressing current global challenges on migration
issues, with special emphasis on migrant girls and women.

The Geneva agreement also enables the two organizations to carry
out joint research and data collection on migration which will
allow for the development of policies focusing on gender and youth
issues, undocumented and irregular migrants, and victims of
trafficking, as well as on reproductive health issues.

For more information, please contact:

Saleem Rehmat

IOM Pakistan

Tel +92 30 08 56 59 67

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