region: Middle East -> South Asia

name: OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) - 2010 Pakistan Floods / Armed Conflict -> United Nations - OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) - 2010 Pakistan Floods / Armed Conflict
other_contacts changed.

notes: FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA YOU TUBE for OCHA: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms ------------------------------- OCHA//UNDAC Team Punjab, Multan OCHA/UNDAC Team located at: FAO Office, House No. 56, Street No. 03, Gardezi Colony near Station Head Quarters, Multan Cantonment Hussein Ula- OCHA Coordination Officer- OCHA Pakistan- Telephone: 0301-854-2449 Email: ulla5 @un.org Veronika Wolf - UNDAC Team - OCHA - Telephone: 0305-529-9971 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com David Chow - UNDAC Team - OCHA Telephone: 0347-508-0242 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com ------------------------------- Mapping/SitRep Contacts: OCHA Pakistan: Dumeetha Luthra, mobile +92 300 850 2397, luthra @un.org; Head of Office: Manuel Bessler, bessler @un.org Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org -> FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA YOU TUBE for OCHA: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms ------------------------------- OCHA//UNDAC Team Punjab, Multan OCHA/UNDAC Team located at: FAO Office, House No. 56, Street No. 03, Gardezi Colony near Station Head Quarters, Multan Cantonment Hussein Ula- OCHA Coordination Officer- OCHA Pakistan- Telephone: 0301-854-2449 Email: ulla5 @un.org Veronika Wolf - UNDAC Team - OCHA - Telephone: 0305-529-9971 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com David Chow - UNDAC Team - OCHA Telephone: 0347-508-0242 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com OCHA Pakistan: Manuel Bessler, Head of Office bessler @un.org Maurizio Giuliano, Public Information Officer a.i. giuliano @un.org, +92 300 8502397 Susan le Roux, External Relations and Donor Liaison Officer leroux @un.org, +92 308 520 5819 F awadHussain, Sindh Coordination Centre fawad.hussain @un.org, +92 301 854 2495 Hussain Ullah, Punjab Coordination Centre ullah5 @un.org, +92 301 854 2449 Waheed Anwar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Coordination Centre anwarw @un.org, +92 301 854 2449 Alexander Hasenstab, UNDSS NGO Liaison Officer hasenstab @un.org, +92 345 850 9011 UNDSS Security Information Operations Centre: unsiocpakistan @undp.org OCHA Geneva Randa Hassan, Humanitarian Affairs Officer hassan50@un.org, Office: +41 22 917 2732 Cell: +41 79 602 3598 OCHA New York: Ben Negus, Humanitarian Affairs Officernegus@un.org, Office: +1 917 367 4374, Cell: +1 646 785 9642 ------------------------------- Mapping/SitRep Contacts: OCHA Pakistan: Dumeetha Luthra, mobile +92 300 850 2397, luthra @un.org; Head of Office: Manuel Bessler, bessler @un.org Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org

notes: FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA YOU TUBE for OCHA: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms ------------------------------- OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: OCHA/UNDAC Team located at: FAO Office, House No. 56, Street No. 03, Gardezi Colony near Station Head Quarters, Multan Cantonment Hussein Ula- OCHA Coordination Officer- OCHA Pakistan- Telephone: 0301-854-2449 Email: ulla5 @un.org Veronika Wolf - UNDAC Team - OCHA - Telephone: 0305-529-9971 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com David Chow - UNDAC Team - OCHA Telephone: 0347-508-0242 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com Mapping/SitRep Contacts: OCHA Pakistan: Dumeetha Luthra, mobile +92 300 850 2397, luthra @un.org; Head of Office: Manuel Bessler, bessler @un.org Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org -> FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA YOU TUBE for OCHA: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms ------------------------------- OCHA//UNDAC Team Punjab, Multan OCHA/UNDAC Team located at: FAO Office, House No. 56, Street No. 03, Gardezi Colony near Station Head Quarters, Multan Cantonment Hussein Ula- OCHA Coordination Officer- OCHA Pakistan- Telephone: 0301-854-2449 Email: ulla5 @un.org Veronika Wolf - UNDAC Team - OCHA - Telephone: 0305-529-9971 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com David Chow - UNDAC Team - OCHA Telephone: 0347-508-0242 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com ------------------------------- Mapping/SitRep Contacts: OCHA Pakistan: Dumeetha Luthra, mobile +92 300 850 2397, luthra @un.org; Head of Office: Manuel Bessler, bessler @un.org Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org

notes: FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA YOU TUBE for OCHA: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms ------------------------------- OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Mapping/SitRep Contacts: OCHA Pakistan: Dumeetha Luthra, mobile +92 300 850 2397, luthra@un.org; Head of Office: Manuel Bessler, bessler@un.org Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org -> FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA YOU TUBE for OCHA: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms ------------------------------- OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: OCHA/UNDAC Team located at: FAO Office, House No. 56, Street No. 03, Gardezi Colony near Station Head Quarters, Multan Cantonment Hussein Ula- OCHA Coordination Officer- OCHA Pakistan- Telephone: 0301-854-2449 Email: ulla5 @un.org Veronika Wolf - UNDAC Team - OCHA - Telephone: 0305-529-9971 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com David Chow - UNDAC Team - OCHA Telephone: 0347-508-0242 Email: undacpunjab @gmail.com Mapping/SitRep Contacts: OCHA Pakistan: Dumeetha Luthra, mobile +92 300 850 2397, luthra @un.org; Head of Office: Manuel Bessler, bessler @un.org Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org

notes: FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA YOU TUBE for OCHA: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms ------------------------------- OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org -> FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA YOU TUBE for OCHA: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms ------------------------------- OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Mapping/SitRep Contacts: OCHA Pakistan: Dumeetha Luthra, mobile +92 300 850 2397, luthra@un.org; Head of Office: Manuel Bessler, bessler@un.org Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org

notes: FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA ------------------------------- OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org -> FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA YOU TUBE for OCHA: http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms ------------------------------- OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org
other_contacts changed.

notes: OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org -> FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OCHA: http://www.facebook.com/UNOCHA ------------------------------- OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org
other_contacts changed.

other_contacts changed.
website: -> http://ochaonline.un.org/

notes: OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org ------------------------------------ Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -> OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org --------------------------------------------- From the site: Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country. -------------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: NUMBERS OF AFFECTED PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISE Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 08 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 08 August 2010): Pakistan's deadly floods have now affected over six million people, according to the latest estimates produced today by the Provincial Authorities of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Punjab, in cooperation with the United Nations. As of yesterday, the estimate was of just over four million. "Things will probably get worse, before they start getting better", said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, "We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations". The riverine floods caused by the waters of the Indus River have meanwhile reached Sindh Province, located in the country's south, and hundreds of villages have been flooded. The protective bund at Torhi, located near Sukkur in the province's north, has been breached. Several barrages and embankments are also at risk of breaking. "While comprehensive estimates are not yet available, it is certain that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are being affected in this province", said Dennis Bruhn, a United Nations disaster management expert who arrived in Sindh today. According to forecasts, heavy rain will continue to fall in Sindh for at least the next three days. Until the waters recede, it will be nearly impossible to access some of the worst-affected areas for assessments and delivery of assistance. "We are particularly concerned about the needs of 600,000 people, who remain completely cut off in the north of KPK", said Wolfgang Herbinger, Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), "especially as no helicopter deliveries have been possible for three days because of bad weather". While the amount of funds required for the relief operations cannot be known until needs are more comprehensively assessed, it is expected that the amount required over the coming months will be several hundreds of millions of dollars. "And with so much destruction to agricultural land and to infrastructure, more hundreds of millions, if not billions, will be required on the longer term to restore livelihoods, as well as services including the health system", said Dr. Ahmed Shaboul, officer-incharge for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country. The floods are the worst in Pakistan's living memory, and the needs arising out of this disaster are comparable to those that followed the 2005 earthquake. So far, the province worst affected is KPK, located in the country's north-west, where an estimated 3.9 million people have been affected, including 1.5 million who are homeless. ----------------------------------------- From Relief Web: PAKISTAN: OVER FOUR MILLION AFFECTED BY FLOODS Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 05 Aug 2010 (New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 05 August 2010): Over four million people are estimated to have been affected so far — to different degrees — by floods, which have been hitting Pakistan since last week. "This is a disaster of major proportions with immediate but also medium and long-term implications," said Martin Mogwanja, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, adding that the emergency continued to evolve. Assessments are still underway. However, estimates issued by the provincial authorities, and produced with the assistance of the United Nations, indicate that over four million people have so far been affected in different ways — including those who preventively left their homes. At least 250,000 dwellings are reported to have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving at least one and a half million persons homeless. United Nations agencies and their partners have already provided tents or plastic sheeting to at least 100,000 people, food to at least 150,000 and clean water to at least 750,000. Over the past days, the floods gradually moved from north to south. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the country's north-west on the border with Afghanistan, was the worst hit, with an estimated 155,000 homes destroyed. In the north-eastern parts of Baluchistan and the south-western areas of Punjab, respectively, an estimated 300,000 and 1.8 million people were affected, according to Government estimates. In the next hours, the floods are expected to reach the country's southern Sindh Province, potentially affecting 11 of its districts. Approximately 350,000 people in the province have already relocated to safer areas. "Without knowing how the situation may further develop, we are ready to continue assisting the Government in responding to any deterioration of the situation", said Mr. Mogwanja. Since last week, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) embarked on the most critical phase of the response—rescuing those in need. At least 500,000 have been evacuated from low-lying areas. "In terms of emergency relief, the most urgent needs of the population are food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods", added Catherine Bragg, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. "In some affected areas, crops have been destroyed or severely damaged, which will significantly affect livelihoods in the medium term", she added. The flooding follows torrential rains that hit the area during the course of last week, leading to the worst floods in the country in at least 80 years. For further information, please call: OCHA Islamabad: Maurizio Giuliano, +91 300 8502397, giuliano @un.org; OCHA New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, +1 347 244 2106, bunker @un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, reader @un.org, OCHA Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, byrs @un.org
mission: OCHA is the arm of the UN Secretariat that is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate for the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention; and facilitate sustainable solutions. -> OCHA is the arm of the UN Secretariat that is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate for the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention; and facilitate sustainable solutions.

name: OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - 2010 Pakistan Floods -> OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) - 2010 Pakistan Floods / Armed Conflict
mission: OCHA is the arm of the UN Secretariat that is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate for the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention; and facilitate sustainable solutions. -> OCHA is the arm of the UN Secretariat that is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate for the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention; and facilitate sustainable solutions.

notes: Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org -> OCHA - Pakistan Contacts: Manuel Bessler Head, OCHA Pakistan +92 301 654 2465 bessler @un.org John Long Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer +92 300 856 0251 longj @un.org Information Management Zeeshan Ahmad Qamar Information Management Officer, OCHA Pakistan +92 302 851 9883 qamar @un.org Tayyaba Ayaz Information Management Assistant, OCHA Pakistan ayaz @un.org ------------------------------------ Fast Facts * Pakistan is ranked 141 of 182 on the Human Development Index. * The country is highly prone to natural disasters. * Over 2.7 million people were displaced at the height of the current crisis in July 2007 and over 1.66 million have now returned to their places of origin. * The country is currently subject to mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. A suicide bombing at the World Food Programme (WFP) compound in Islamabad on 5 October killed five and wounded six UN staff members. This attack, and the recent assault on a UN guesthouse in neighbouring Afghanistan, will inevitably have direct ramifications for ongoing humanitarian operations, specifically in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. * Displacements resulting from the continuation of military operations by the Armed Forces of Pakistan against armed opposition groups are continuing across areas of the NWFP and FATA. * Though UN-led advocacy continues, access to most displacement/ conflict zones remains extremely limited for UN workers, with limited access granted in some instances to national staff. Humanitarian response activities in Pakistan remain extremely complex, with a protracted conflict generating four principle categories of people in need: returnees; those who have remained in conflict zones during operations; IDPs who remain in camps or with host families; and host families providing food and shelter to IDPs. These groups will continue to require OCHA support well into 2010. However, should the Pakistan armed forces achieve and maintain greater levels of control thus inducing enhanced stability across areas of the NWFP and FATA, OCHA functions may begin to transition. The focus might thus change from current life-saving operations to an expansion of early recovery actions, with a view to widening developmental/reconstruction activities. The rapidly changing environment in Pakistan is a significant challenge to OCHA coordination efforts. The in-country security environment remains extremely volatile. OCHA will be faced with small-scale and cyclic population displacements throughout 2010. Local conditions and requirements will determine the nature of the response (humanitarian, recovery, development). In some areas, the various phases of response (life-saving and time-critical) will be required simultaneously (e.g. in the Malakand Division of NWFP and in parts of FATA). The existing cultural barriers for women will exacerbate the vulnerability of female and child-headed households. Special efforts will be required to ensure that gender considerations are adequately taken into account in the design and implementation of humanitarian activities. Access will continue to pose a challenge for OCHA in 2010. The bombing of the WFP compound in Islamabad that killed five and injured six United Nations staff on 5 October 2009 – and the rapid increase in mass-casualty attacks against the civilian population since that attack – is already affecting OCHA and wider humanitarian community work. And an increased burden is being placed upon the NGO community to maintain the provision of assistance. OCHA will address the access concerns and rapidly changing environment by the following actions: improving security (i.e. by employing a security advisor whose role will be to ensure the safety of OCHA staff; deploying armoured cars for future field visits; ensuring adequate preparedness by keeping abreast of developments and constantly analyzing the context in close support and cooperation with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.) OCHA will furthermore fulfill its mandated leadership and support function for the work of the Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, NGOs and government by: * Identifying gaps in the humanitarian response and providing tools, information and data to better target response actions. * Supporting the daily functioning of the clusters, by striving to ensure greater inter-cluster dialogue to reduce the duplication of work. * Acting as a common link between the humanitarian community and the government. * Advocating with the government on behalf of those displaced to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided with respect and with dignity. * Working closely with the donor community to keep them informed of humanitarian developments and encourage coordination of bilateral funding activities. Given the limited government capacity to respond to the complex and constantly evolving situation, OCHA plans to maintain its in-country support function throughout 2010. With the likelihood that the instability will persist, OCHA will continue to reinforce coordination structures and systems, with a view to commence dialogue on transitioning its functions to longer-term actors as relative stability returns to the country.
mission: -> OCHA is the arm of the UN Secretariat that is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate for the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention; and facilitate sustainable solutions.