Field Operations - 2005 Pakistan Earthquake Mission

The Need

At 8.50am on the 8th of October 2005, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck the mountainous regions of northern Pakistan and India. The aftermath of one of the world’s worst natural disasters, caused nearly 80,000 deaths and over three million people to become homeless.  The national and global response was overwhelmed by the needs of people living in remote mountain areas soon to be enduring a harsh winter.

Solution

Impact seconded two senior consultants to the International Organisation for Migration, which was acting as lead agency for the emergency shelter operation as part of the United Nation’s
response. They were deployed to two of the hardest hit districts of Pakistan’s North Western Frontier Province; Batagram and Balakot. With minimal support, the two were tasked with leading
field teams responsible for distribution of emergency shelter to those hardest hit, as part of the UN’s Operation Winter-Race.

In Batagram alone, the field team of 24 working across three sub-offices, managed the needs of over 300,000 affected people spread over more than 200 square kilometres of mountainous terrain. The key responsibilities of the two consultants included:

• Establishing field office teams and facilities
• Managing logistics, distribution and operations 
• Liaison with Pakistan civil and military authorities
• Co-ordination with NGOs and UN agencies
• Establishing Remote Assessments Teams

Result

The IOM offices of Batagram and Balakot were among two of the most important of the IOM emergency shelter operations contributing to:

• Distribution of approximately 100,000 tents
• The construction of 40,000 temporary shelters
• The distribution of 100,000 sheets of corrugated iron
• Meeting the needs of more than 500,000 people

"Without doubt this initiative [the IOM Remote Assessment Teams launched in Batagram] will increase the effectiveness of the “Winter Race” operations and has provided a framework for an expansion of such work as the winter increases the number of inaccessible communities."

Jeremy Woodall 
United Nations Joint Logistics Centre

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