Appeal

Pakistan

Balochistan Earthquake Assistance ASPK82

Appeal Target: US$ 1,353,841

Balance Requested: US$ 930,729

Geneva, 12 December 2008

An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit Balochistan province in south-western Pakistan on 29 October 2008. There were altogether 47 aftershocks ranging from 3.5 to 4.7 on the Richter scale in the first two days. 17,870 households were damaged in 226 villages of Districts Pishin, Ziarat and Harnai, affecting a population of 133,758. ACT members Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS-P/A) office and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) have been responding from day one.

The worst-hit area was the Ziarat valley, where approximately 90% of the houses have been seriously damaged and people are exposed to the severe cold. The initial assessment by the Balochistan Rural Support Program (BRSP) revealed that the earthquake has caused the loss of 316 human lives, injured hundreds of people and displaced more than 70,000 individuals. There is an acute shortage of safe water due to damage of water systems and wells and displaced population living in open areas. Inadequate sanitary conditions are raising health concerns and there are fears that the population is vulnerable to outbreaks of water-borne diseases. The most affected segment of the population are children and women as the deaths include many more women and children buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

On 31 October 2008, advance funding of US$ 60,405 was issued from the ACT Rapid Response Fund for immediate relief assistance by Church World Service (CWS) to 4,000 families with food, tents, plastic sheets, blankets and hygiene kits, and by Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) to 250 families with 200 winterized tents, 250 quilts and 200 plastic sheets, 200 plastic mats will be distributed to 250 most vulnerable, families among the affected population. This appeal incorporates these relief activities which have been further scaled up, together with further assistance to enable people to withstand the winter cold, psychosocial support and protection, water and sanitation and hygiene promotion, advocacy and a consumer complaint cell to support accountability to the assisted population.

Please note that the NCA programme is already fully funded through contributions from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and nearing completion at the end of this month. Therefore, the balance requested is for the CWS programme under this appeal which will continue to the end of September 2009.

Project Completion Date:

CWS P/A - 30 September, 2009 (11 months from November 1, 2008)

NCA - 31 December 2008 (2 months from October 1 2008)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

FOR THE FULL APPEAL TEXT AND BUDGET (PDF FILE), KINDLY VISIT THE ACT SITE. THANK YOU. _____________________________________________________________________________________

Please kindly send your contributions to either of the following ACT bank accounts:

US dollar

Account Number - 240-432629.60A

IBAN No: CH46 0024 0240 4326 2960A

Euro

Euro Bank Account Number - 240-432629.50Z

IBAN No: CH84 0024 0240 4326 2950Z

Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together

UBS AG

8, rue du Rhône

P.O. Box 2600

1211 Geneva 4, SWITZERLAND

Swift address: UBSWCHZH80A

Please also inform the Finance Officer, Jessie Kgoroeadira (jkg@act-intl.org) and the Programme Officer, Michelle Yonetani (myo@act-intl.org) of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.

We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

(ends)

ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.