Focus shifts to rehabilitation of disaster-hit communities

As the weather starts to clear, assessment missions are now reaching areas badly affected by the heavy rains and snowfall over the past three weeks in the southern and northern parts of Pakistan. "At the moment, the distribution of emergency relief goods is almost complete everywhere in [southwest] Balochistan province, except in a couple of snow-affected areas in the northern district of Pishin, due to a road block. Besides, several other organisations such as Islamic Relief, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and UN bodies are also distributing food and medical supplies," Raziq Bugti of the provincial Crisis Management Cell (CMC), told IRIN from the provincial capital, Quetta. Nearly half a million people were badly affected by heavy rains and floods, with estimates of 4,000 families being left homeless. Additionally, increased water flows have severely damaged bridges, mud-houses and small earthen dams built on a self-help basis by communities, according to the United Nations Disaster Management Team's (UNDMT) report. "We are up to the damage assessment now and the district officers have been asked to submit their reports at the earliest after getting a thorough feedback from the local communities," Bugti added. BALOCHISTAN In Balochistan, the main road links to almost all five flood-hit southern districts have been restored and would be restored to northern areas in a couple of days, according to the provincial CMC. "A few small link roads have not yet been repaired, but the work is continuing. However, many parts are still without electricity and telephone lines are also not working there," Bugti said. The Balochistan provincial government has also ordered an inquiry into the Shadi Kor dam, which burst in the southern coastal town of Pasni earlier this month, killing over 80 people and resulting in heavy damage to homes and livestock. NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE (NWFP) Relief and assessment teams have gained access to some of the worst hit parts of the northern districts of the province as the weather improves. Meanwhile, the death toll has surpassed 330, with another 348 reported injured in the avalanches, landslides and roof collapses due to heavy snowfalls in hilly areas, according to the provincial relief department officials. More than 755,000 people across NWFP were affected, while thousands remain stranded in the snowbound northern valleys of Upper Dir, Mansehra, Shangla, Kohistan and Swat. "Snow has been removed from all the main roads. However, the branch and small link roads have yet to be cleared. But the restoration of electricity and telephone network will take time, as the areas are buried under heavy snow," Ghulam Farooq Khan, head of the provincial relief cell told IRIN from NWFP's provincial capital, Peshawar. More than 8,000 houses have been reported as completely destroyed across the province, while over 21,000 have been partially damaged, according to the provincial CMC. Heavy loss of property and livestock was reported from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), where some 353 houses are said to have collapsed and over 3,500 were partially damaged, according to FATA relief authorities in Peshawar. Khan added that air drops of food items in the remote valleys of Swat and Mansehra Battagram districts were continuing, as road access to the areas remained poor. Humanitarian workers visiting the snow-affected areas have reported increased cases of chest infection among children due to very cold weather. "Though an accurate picture is not yet known, as several areas are still inaccessible, the people are in dire need of medical aid and warm clothes - particularly children," Kashif Pervez, working with Save the Children UK, told IRIN in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. PAKISTAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR Meanwhile, rescue and relief efforts continued in the remote valleys of Neelum and Leepa, where dogs were being employed to search for those still buried by avalanches, as well as the dead, officials of the relief department told IRIN on Tuesday. "The communications network is still not working in several areas, roads are blocked due to avalanches and land slides, and the telephone network has yet to be restored completely," Riaz Mughal, from the office of the Relief Commissioner, told IRIN from the state capital, Muzaffarabad, some 135 km north of Islamabad. As many as 1,348 homes in the area collapsed, while more than 2,500 were partially damaged, according to state relief authorities. In addition, more than 2,000 people have been displaced due to heavy rains and snowfall over the past three weeks. The country's meteorological office has predicted better weather over the next few days. However, more rain is expected during the rest of the month, as well as in March.