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Media Statament, 21st November 2005
GOAL wishes to thanks everyone who has contributed to the GOAL
Pakistan Appeal. Your generosity allowed us help save lives and
provide emergency relief to the traumatised survivors in earthquake-ravaged
Kashmir. Thank you.
Our team is rushing against the clock to bring essential relief
to communities on both sides of the line of control separating Pakistan
Administered Kashmir from Indian Administered Kashmir. Snow has
started to fall in northern Pakistan, and the dropping snow line,
as well as the rains at lower elevations, is making life cold and
miserable for the survivors.
With an initial cash injection of €100,000, GOAL’s food
and shelter programme kicked off last week in India, where 1,400
persons are reported to have lost their lives, and 6,622 injured.
Assistance is channeled through the Child in Need Institute (CINI)
- a local partner of GOAL’s for the past 27 years. These villages
are receiving food and shelter items (such as tents, blankets and
plastic sheeting).
The opening of the fourth crossing between Pakistan and Indian
Kashmir last week, linking Tattapani on the Pakistan side to Mendhar
on the Indian side, is expected to facilitate greater movement of
our relief trucks which could save lives in remote communities in
earthquake-ravaged Kashmir.
GOAL started working in the earthquake-ravaged Kashmir, four days
after the earthquake of October 8th 2005, in the remote and mountainous
Bagh district in southern Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, where 95%
of houses in the district were flattened. GOAL is currently assisting
up to 140,000 people. The combined affected population of the district
is estimated at 364,346 which represents 46,711 families (UNDAC,
Oct 15, 2005). GOAL also has a centre in Islamabad to facilitate
sourcing relief materials.
has so far distributed 840 winterised tents, 49,345
blankets, over 6,183 plastic sheeting and 3,299 sleeping bags. A
further 80,000 galvanised sheets are in the pipeline which will
support a further 13,500 families.
- GOALies are distributing life saving food to more than 66,000
people every month, and are also distributing food basket to survivors,
which include: wheat, flour, pulses, vegetable oil, salt and dates.
, GOAL
will intensify relief efforts to ensure that those most in need
receive adequate food and shelter in advance of the anticipated
snow and freezing conditions.
,
GOAL is also preparing a strategy for rehabilitation and intends
to help those affected families rebuild their lives:
• GOAL will carry out multiple activities as part
of the rehabilitation programme. These interventions will ensure
that beneficiaries have the capacity to begin the task of rehabilitation
when the winter has passed, and ensure that people do not deplete
remaining assets in an effort to survive.
• We will provide asset recovery for agricultural communities;
support to tradespersons and the re-establishment of necessary
local enterprises such as bakeries and local markets through livelihoods
fairs.
• Cash-for-work initiative: GOAL’s cash-for-work
scheme kicks off this week in earthquake-ravaged Kashmir, to encourage
communities to rebuild schools by paying them a wage. Not one
school was left after the October 8th tragedy. The initiative
is beneficial on two fronts: not only will it ensure that the
children get back to school soon, but the parents will also have
a livelihood and a job, bringing more meaning and normality to
family life. GOAL had much success with similar schemes in Sri
Lanka in the wake of the tsunami, and we’re expecting equally
great results from the scheme in Pakistan.
GOAL believes in keeping its cost base as low as possible,
and is proud to have kept administration costs at an average of
5% over a 27 year period. Once again, thank you so much for your
donation
• Snow has started to fall in the areas near the South
Asia quake in northern Pakistan, according to the UN refugee agency
(UNHCR) and the dropping snow line, as well as the rains at lower
elevations, is making life “cold and miserable.” (Temperature
minimum: 2 to 8 °C in low-lying areas, 6 °C in Muzaffarabad,
but as low as -4 to -14 °C in the highest villages)
• Population movements from the mountainous, remote villages
to lower grounds continue. Uncontrolled population movement could
overwhelm facilities currently available. (OCHA).
• The Government of Pakistan has taken control of the nation’s
vast tent production potential aiming at manufacturing 10,000
tents every day, NGOs are sourcing outside Pakistan.-
• Official confirmed earthquake death toll figure for Pakistan
has been revised back down to 73,000, but this is expected to
increase
• SOUTH ASIA QUAKE: FLASH APPEAL STILL LESS THAN 30% FUNDED
• World donors pledged almost $6 billion, and Pakistan vowed
in return to account for every cent as it distributes the aid
to survivors of last month's huge tremor ($3 billion in fresh
pledges).
• Throughout the quake-hit areas of Pakistan, there are
currently 18 planned or organized camps and approximately 1,000
self-settled ones. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
and the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have
32 Pakistani civilians and army personnel on site planning and
improving the camp living conditions.
• Meanwhile, the NATO-UNHCR airlift from Turkey, which started
on 19 October, ended last night after its 103rd flight. However,
UNHCR's operation will still be continuing.
• On for the $550 million flash appeal, the United Nations
has so far received commitments of $130 million and pledges of
$35 million, meaning that the appeal is still less than 30 per
cent funded.
• Officials estimate that it will take more than five billion
dollars and five to 10 years to restore the shattered infrastructure
in the devastated areas of earthquake-ravaged Kashmir.
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