Hundreds of national non-governmental organizations (NGOs), supported by the international community, are on the frontline, ready to help to rebuild communities, but remain desperately short of funds. The ‘slow tsunami’ that hit Pakistan in 2010 damaged or destroyed an estimated 1.7 million houses, leaving at least 11 million people homeless.
In Punjab province alone, twice as many people lost their homes as in the earthquake in Haiti last year. More houses were destroyed in Dadu district in southern Sindh than in the Aceh earthquake in 2004. This natural disaster, unprecedented in terms of destruction of housing and infrastructure, has necessitated an unprecedented response. International donors have contributed US$1.1 billion or 56% of the requirement to a UN appeal for US $1.96 billion launched in September. Agencies in the Shelter Cluster - a network of UN agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations coordinated at by IOM – appealed for US$ 322 million and have received US$ 126 million or 39%.
With this money they have distributed emergency shelter in the form of a tent or two plastic tarpaulins to some 864,400 households. They have also distributed are over 1.62 million blankets, 304,300 bedding sets, 407,700 kitchen sets and 66,500 tool kits. These essential items have protected homeless families from the elements and allowed them to cook emergency food rations. But more blankets, in particular, are urgently needed to combat the cold weather.
For families who have returned home to scenes of devastation, the Shelter Cluster’s priority is to support communities’ capacity for self-help. It recommends that cluster agencies help them to build durable 16 – 25 m2 one room shelters made of locally available and salvaged materials. Designs will vary in each province to account for climatic, building practice and cultural variations.
“In most cases, beneficiaries are able to supply some materials and labor themselves. Cluster members provide key inputs to support this process, which can include cash transfers, doors and windows or roofing materials,” says Shelter Cluster national coordinator Arshad Rashid. “Technical experts provide training on safer building practices and disaster risk reduction techniques, such as building a solid foundation and plastering the shelter to flood height both inside and outside,” he adds.
At the heart of this strategy and the key to its success will be a network of over 300 national NGOs supporting the recovery process with teams of social mobilizers, engineers and other technical experts. The Sangtani Women Rural Development Organization is one of them. “We plan to provide support to at least 600 families to construct one room shelters and model villages in the worst affected areas of Rajanpur district. But we need funding from agencies or individual donors to do it,” says coordinator Narjis Batool. To date, Shelter Cluster members have constructed over 12,500 one room and transitional shelters and are committed to supporting the construction of over 149,000 more.
Limited funds and resources mean that cluster agencies have had to agree common criteria to establish which families are most vulnerable, ensuring that help reaches those who need it most.
But unless more funding is forthcoming, at least half a million families who lost their homes and need help to rebuild either a one room or a transitional shelter will receive nothing.
