Government Receives $305m Funding for Relief
The government has received $305 million in cash of the $6.2 billion committed for the rehabilitation and reconstruction in the quake-hit areas. A senior finance ministry official said on December 28 that international donors had disbursed in the account of the State Bank a soft loan of $285 million and $20 million outright grant, which the government was spending accordingly.
He said the government was documenting a detailed ‘reconstruction plan'. It gave priority to housing, health, education, public works, construction of government buildings, power, transport, water supply and sanitation, communication, livestock and dairy, furniture, value added services and creating employment opportunities in quake-hit parts of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP, he added. ¦
Children's Role Vital in Relief Work
Agencies providing relief and reconstruction after the tsunami should have done more to involve children in the process, according to Plan's study Children and the tsunami , released on December 13 in Bangkok . It says the typical ‘one size fits all' approach consistently fails to consult or involve children, which in turn leads to less informed and often less sustainable solutions.
Governments and aid agencies failed to involve children during last year's tsunami relief effort, and instead imposed imported solutions on them. Involving children should be an integral part of the relief effort. The main reason for the lack of children's involvement was the need for efficiency and speed of delivery. However, ignoring children's energy, strength, and optimism was a missed opportunity, and may have actually prolonged the suffering.
Plan CEO, said: “The argument that there isn't time to consult children in disaster situations just does not work. Children and young people are often stronger, better educated, more adaptable, and more optimistic than adults.” For future disasters, a fundamental shift in attitude and approach towards involving children in emergency situations is needed to reduce their impact. Active involvement in reconstruction is an essential part of the recovery process for traumatized children. The tsunami and recent earthquake in Pakistan are now driving international agencies and governments to establish functioning disaster risk reduction strategies. ¦ www.plan-international.org , www.crin.org/resources
Girls Defy Vani Rite
Three girls from Mianwali refused to become victims of vani , a cruel tribal rite in which little girls and women are given in marriage to the rivals to settle long standing disputes and enmity, and appealed to the President and Prime Minister and the Supreme Court of Pakistan to save them from being ruined.
Asia Khatoon, 18, Kausar Khatoon, 13, Yasmin, 10, have refused to be married to men belonging to a rival clan. The three girls belonging to Gul Mir tribe were given away as vani some five years back when the brother of a girl, had eloped with a girl of their rival clan in 2000.
Though the girl returned, a local jirga (court) decided that three girls of the boy's family should be married off to men belonging to aggrieved clan as compensation for the offense. The marriages were solemnized verbally (locally called Shariat Nikah). The three girls approached advocate of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on December 5, at Mianwali to seek help.
In the last couple of months, at least three such incidents were reported in the press where the girls who had been given in Vani by their fathers, refused to go with their so-called husbands, who in almost all cases were much older or younger to the girls and illiterate as well. ¦
Quake Donations Fall in December
UN warned on December 14 that donations for earthquake relief activities had declined considerably in December and could affect the rehabilitation operations in the coming months. “We received less than one-third of November's donations this month. I appeal to all donor countries and agencies to release their pledged donations,” UN Resident Coordinator told a news conference. He said that the world body needs another $45 million for blankets, quilts and plastic sheets
He said that the ongoing Rescue Operation Winter Race had adopted a ‘top-down' strategy, which meant that people living at higher altitudes were being given priority in the provision of shelter. The report stated that three-quarters of people living in tents below 5,000 feet needed structural and thermal protection to see out the winter. “It is estimated that 2.4 million winter-quality blankets or 1.2 million quilts are urgently needed, which will cost $31 million,” the report read. 170,000 plastic sheets of international quality will be required for protection from the rain and snow, costing $4.5 million in addition to about 200,000 tarpaulins or equivalent plastic sheets for floor insulation. ¦
THE AGONY OF EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS CONTINUES
The October 8 earthquake hit at the start of the school day and there were immediate fears that children would make up for the bulk of the casualties when it became clear that thousands of schools had collapsed. The government estimates that around 17,000 students died just in schools, while many others died at home.
“Children likely make up half of the dead in the earthquake, the UN said on November 12, confirming fears that the disaster had claimed a “lost generation.” “Almost half of Pakistan 's population is under-18 so we would estimate that of the people who died half of them were children,” said Unicef representative in Pakistan . The earthquake is estimated to have killed some 73,000 people, injured over 100,000 and left up to 3 million homeless.
Sturdy Snow
With the onset of the severe cold and snowfall that hit the areas on New Year's Eve, children are at greater risk of disease. Although there has been no major epidemic, many children are already suffering from acute respiratory infections. Despite provision of antibiotics in health kits it would be far better if parents could keep children warm and prevent them from getting sick. |
