22 January 2011
As we near the 6 month mark of the floods that altered the topography of Pakistan, initial assessments that were made by the humanitarian community to quantify the scale of the disaster are being reassessed to compare the aid provided to the affectees with their remaining needs. UN-HABITAT, the focal UN agency for providing shelter to the affectees, is in the process of completing its emergency recovery projects by February. During these efforts the affectees were encouraged to take part in the rehabilitation process of their communities. 6 months later, 2056 transitional shelters have been completed while 1045 are still in progress, 2400 toolkits and 4450 hygiene kits have been distributed and 1651 latrines have been built while 185 are still in progress, spanning over KP, Sind, Baluchistan, AJK and Punjab. Furthermore, some 2800 families have been provided with safe drinking water. Regular hygiene sessions have been conducted to create hygiene awareness among the communities. Currently 2000 hygiene sessions are being conducted and expect to be completed by the end of February.
UN-HABITAT initiated these efforts in early August and with the new year has entered into Early recovery. The early recovery phase holds new opportunities and challenges for the humanitarian community but overall holds a promise of increased efforts to support the affectees of the floods of 2010.
