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Oxfam to support 640,000 survivors
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 : Oxfam plans to support approximately 640,000 earthquake survivors with construction of shelters as a priority.
Winterised tents purchased by Oxfam within Pakistan are of a high quality, with more than 700 being received a day. Oxfam is also looking to provide materials for the construction of 2,000 traditional ‘bandi’ shelters in the districts of Mansehra and Bagh.
The organization’s response to the South Asia earthquake is rapidly scaling up. Deteriorating weather conditions across the region are hampering access to the worst affected areas. At present Oxfam is focusing on providing survivors with appropriate shelter and access to clean water.
In its latest statement Jane Cocking, who is in Pakistan leading Oxfam’s emergency response said, "Unless conditions improve in these camps, diseases like cholera could spread like wildfire. If disease does break out in camps, the number of deaths could far exceed those in danger in their villages."
In particular Oxfam plans to support the increasing number of people moving from remote villages that have been affected into temporary urban camps. In the district of Mansehra, Oxfam is anticipating between 40,000-60,000 people to arrive from the Khagan valley near Balakot. To date Oxfam has provided 4,321 tents, 31,093 blankets and 11,311 pieces of plastic sheeting to more than 43,000 people in the districts of Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla, Muzaffarabad and Dheer Kot. We will distribute a further 20,000 tents to affected areas.
Public health is emerging as a major concern. Oxfam is increasing its water and sanitation operation and plans to reach approximately 600,000 people by providing clean water, sanitation, solid waste collection and hygiene items.
In occupied Kashmir, where the scale of the disaster has been much smaller, Oxfam has already supported over 5,000 people with blankets and plastic sheeting. Through additional distributions, Oxfam plans to support 20,000 people.
As in Pakistan, the need for shelter is vital. In addition to the supply of tents, Oxfam has been investigating alternative shelter options-both for high-altitude, and for low-altitude areas.