Islamabad October 8th, 2006 - The Humanitarian Community gathered at the Fatima Jinnah Park to remember those who lost their lives, sustained injuries, and lost family members, homes and livelihoods caused by the massive earthquake of 8th October 2005 that struck Northern Pakistan.

Speaking on behalf of the UN and NGO partners, the Humanitarian Coordinator Jan Vandemoortele said, "We have gathered here to pay our respects to the departed souls and to renew our commitment to helping those still in need." He added, "We pledge to work together to respond to the needs of vulnerable communities with winter approaching again, and to continue to move forward with recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation challenges."

A moment of silence and prayer was observed together with the sharing of experiences of a sixteen year old boy who survived the collapse of the Margalla Towers on the eventful day last year. Later a tree was planted by the Humanitarian Community in remembrance of those who lost their lives.

"There are three jaundice cases with some more in the villages of Jared"

As soon as we received this report from our health partners- the IMC doctors, our CSR team of the Mansehra hub left immediately for the field on 14^th July 2006. After driving for about one and a half hours, we were halted by a road block. There was a machine pushing the rock boulders into the gorge in order to clear the road. It was a spectacular sight and our bodies went cold to see the boulders coming down and slipping into the gorge...

Subsequent to the District Health Planning (DHP) workshop for NWFP from 04 to 07 July 2006, alike workshop was held for the Earthquake affected districts of AJK from 25 to 29 July 2006 at Hotel capital Islamabad. WHO supported ERRA and Ministry of health of AJK in conducting the workshop. The ERRA’s health strategy for reconstruction and rehabilitation and the health strategy on early recovery phase by WHO Mission – during May 2006 were the background themes for the workshop.

In pursuance of the ERRA’s strategies for reconstruction and rehabilitation, and the WHO health strategy on early recovery phase in the earthquake affected areas (Mission - May 2006), WHO supported ERRA and Department of health of NWFP in conducting a workshop on District Health Planning for the earthquake affected areas. The workshop was held at Islamabad from 04 to 07 July 2006, and was attended by the health authorities from the Department of Health, NWFP and those of districts of Mansehra, Abbotabad, Shangla, Batagram and Kohistan, in addition to the programme managers of DRUs and key staff members from WHO hubs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has completed and handed over 23 fully-equipped prefabricated Basic Health Units (BHUs) to the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), thereby revitalising an essential package of primary healthcare services in the earthquake affected areas.

WHO Representative Dr. Khalif Bile Mohamud formally handed over necessary documents of the prefabricated BHUs to Secretary Health AJK Major-General Abdul Malik and EDO Health Muzaffarabad Dr. Sardar Mehmood Ahmad Khan during a simple ceremony held in the city the other day. Ten of these 23 BHUs have been constructed in Muzaffarabad, nine in Bagh and four in Rawalakot. The site selection was made by the AJK authorities.

Power99 FM is one of the radio stations in Pakistan broadcasting in the affected areas and interested in much more than entertaining. As part of the celebration of World Health Day 2006 with this year's theme 'Working together for Health', Power99 conducted live radio interviews with the most outstanding health workers in the affected areas, to give them some deserved attention.

Congratulations to our heroes for health in the earthquake affected areas!

The return process of the earthquake-affected population residing in camps to their home villages is gradually taking place. WHO Battagram has set up vaccinating centres and medical checkouts in the camps of Meira (approx. 15,000 population) and Maidan (approx. 3,000 population)  to minimize imminent health risks for the population returning to.

More than 400 Lady Health Workers and Lady Health Supervisors have been trained so far in hygiene promotion, mental health and vaccination in all of the earthquake affected areas. Thanks to the Lady Health Workers (approximately 1 per 1,000 population) females have access to health care.

Due to the large amounts of expired medicines, WHO has taken the initiative to provide health care facilities with incinerators for proper medical waste disposal. Already 20 drum incinerators are functional in Battagram, while Mansehra District Headquarters Hospital has been provided with a De Montfort incinerator.

Twenty out of 35 prefabricated structures that WHO is planning, to temporarily rebuild the Basic Health Units that have been destroyed in the earthquake are completed.

The official UN system for humanitarian supply management LSS (Logistics Support System) is now expanded from all WHO warehouses, the main Ministry of Health warehouses, to the UN Joint Logistics Coordination agency (UNJLC).

UNJLC has implemented LSS to gain visibility over the Non Food Items pipeline for the relief effort. This is the first time a UN agency has used the LSS in such a context. LSS promotes efficiency of humanitarian donations and transparency.

SitRep#1 01 Aug 2006