GENDER ISSUES AMONG CONCERNS IN LATEST ASSESSMENT FROM CYCLONE-STRUCK PAKISTAN; WATER, FOOD, SHELTER CRITICAL FOR 250,000 PEOPLE

5 July 2007, Islamabad, Pakistan - A formal joint-assessment released today by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Oxfam GB, Concern Worldwide, Church World Service-P/A from the Kech district of Balochistan notes challenges facing women among the major concerns of 250,000 people affected by the cyclone that swept through the southern part of the country June 26.

Major issues and recommendations in the assessment focused on immediate shelter, water and hygiene, food and education support for an estimated 50 percent of this area's population, or 25,000 - 30,000 households.

CRS field staff on the ground included an integrated team of men and women so that its female staff would be able to convey a more in-depth understanding and sensitivities of the challenges faced by women in the area.

"A lot of work of women has been increased due to displacement. Traditionally in this area, women take responsibility for cooking, fetching water, washing, cleaning and taking care of their children. Now, they carry the additional burden of doing this under extreme, challenging circumstances that make them more vulnerable," said Shagufda Ali, a female program manager with CRS Pakistan.

Women reported that their energy levels, and that of their children, were low due to lack of sufficient food and drinking water to fuel their excessive workload, which also includes wanting to clean the debris and recover belongings from their homes.

They also described the difficulty adjusting to the lack of privacy to which they are accustomed, especially for those living alongside other displaced families in large communal and congested spaces, such as the local school or community center.

In most of the villages visited by the team, people are practicing open defecation. Many women said they prefer to wait all the day for darkness, or to walk to wet and watery areas. Lack of bathing facilities and water -- and also lack of awareness regarding hygiene practice -- has resulted in increased reported incidences of diarrhea and skin diseases.

The assessment team visited the Kech district that had been inaccessible until July 2 due to the destruction of the Kechkor bridge. The team crossed the river on July 2 and was one of first to meet with communities in the villages within the Nasirabad, Nodez, Kalatuk and Ginna union councils.

Other key findings and recommendations in the assessment:

Shelter

"The most pressing needs are for those living under an open sky, who are exposed to the rain and will be in a terrible condition when the monsoon season comes. In all of our visits in these areas, I was reminded of the devastation after the 2006 earthquake, when houses were just buried under the mud. Here, too, people kept telling us of houses that were there, and we couldn't see any sign of that house, nothing but the mud under our feet," said Gul Wali Khan, emergency director with CRS Pakistan.

Recommendations:

-- An estimated 250,000 people are in need of shelter

-- Shelter response must sufficiently provide protection for the upcoming monsoon

-- With the local government distributing tents to affected communities, an additional need exists to distribute plastic/tarpaulin sheeting

-- Transitional shelters should be constructed in safer places either by raising the ground level or away from the potential risk area.

-- Use of local materials is more culturally and environmentally appropriate

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion

"Livestock is buried under the mud; people are wearing the same clothes after several days; water infrastructure is fully damaged, forcing people to get water from local rivers and streams that are polluted; and people are reporting incidences of scabies, diarrhea, gastro-intestinal illness. Clean water and hygiene are of critical concern," said Khan.

Recommendations:

-- Household water filters or water purification tablets are vital

-- Sensitization on hygiene practice should be part of all relief efforts

-- Rehabilitation, restoration needed for local water infrastructure, wells and springs

-- Development and installation of wells and hand pumps recommended in the area

-- Household latrines, rather than communal latrines, recommended

Food

"Many people left their homes and their food stocks behind, or their stocks were simply washed away or buried. Hundreds of thousands of people in the areas where we visited are in immediate need of food, and in an amount that should last them for a minimum of one month," said Khan.

Recommendations:

-- At least 250,000 people are in immediate need of food in the Ketch District.

-- The food package size, quantity and quality should be properly coordinated to provide an amount sufficient for at least one month as per international SPHERE (emergency response guideline) standards

Education

"Most of the school buildings have collapsed or are severely damaged and many children have lost their school bags, books, materials, and uniforms. These are costly items not easily replaced by poorer families. Additionally, children (and their parents) may be fearful of going back to school. It is important to resume a routine of normalcy as quickly as possible, in a safe environment and with support that allows children to continue their education despite the conditions," said Khan.

Recommendations:

-- Provide educational materials and alternative solutions for school buildings

-- Vacate the schools buildings currently occupied by displaced families before the end of summer vacation (August 15)

-- Provide psychosocial support for children who are dealing with stress and trauma

About the Assessment

Teams were comprised of seven staff from four organizations divided into two groups, one of which visited Kech, and the other the Gawadar District. The assessment team visited the most-affected Union Councils (UCs), Kushkalat, Gokdan, Kalatuk, Nodez and Nasirabad of tehsil Turbat, district Kech and Pasni, Dasht areas of district Gawadar.

The Floods Heavy rainfall due to cyclone Yemyin resulted in massive flooding in local rivers and streams of District Kech of Balochistan Province on June 26, 2007. The rains and subsequent flooding left 24 dead and hundreds injured. Approximately 50 percent of the population in the area (or 250,000 people) are severely affected. Turbat Tehsil of District Kech has received more then 190 mm of rains in just two days. Nasirabad, Nodez, Ginna and Kalatuk were the hardest hit by the back flow of water from the Mirrani Dam Reservoir.

For more information, contact Caroline Brennan at Catholic Relief Services in South Asia at +91.93.50.96.79.99 / cbrennan@crsindia.org or Kat Burnside with CRS in the U.S. at +410-951-7507 / kburnsid@crs.org, or visit www.crs.org.