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Pakistan Earthquake Press Room

A girl stands outside a tent school in a camp for people displaced by the earthquake, in the

On 8 October 2005, the strongest and most devastating quake in Pakistan's history, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, killed over 73,338 people, seriously injured 69,400 and left 3.3 million homeless. Of these 1.6 to 2.2 million were children. Hundreds of villages and communities were complete destroyed.

One year later, the relief operation has successfully transitioned to rebuilding lives and affected areas. In conjunction with the Pakistan Government’s Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, UNICEF’s objective is to ‘Build Back Better, ’ in order to ensure that the standard for basic services such as health, education, water and sanitation are even better than they were before the earthquake.

A total of 78,699 children have re-enrolled in 2,456 temporary tented UNICEF-assisted schools, with UNICEF issuing approximately 8,000 School-In-A-Box kits, each containing blackboards, pens, crayon, textbooks, exercise books, satchels, chalk, scissors and tape for 80 students and two teachers. UNICEF supported the vaccination of over 1.1 million children against measles and provided Vitamin A supplements to 515,000 children, distributed 50,000 hygiene kits and 150 New Emergency Health kits. Additionally, UNICEF has also trained teachers, social workers, and caregivers in psychological first aid and management of stress in children and adolescents. These are just a few examples of UNICEF’s commitment to the children of Pakistan.

Although much has been accomplished we still have a long way to go.

Press Releases and New Notes:

29 September 2006 - An exhibition of photographs by earthquake affected children in Pakistan

11 July 2006 - UNICEF announces $150 million earthquake recovery plan

8 December 2005 - UNICEF delivers warm clothing kits to children in high-altitude villages and tented camps

30 October 2005 - Statement by UNICEF Executive Director, Ann M. Veneman on her visit to quake-ravaged Pakistan

16 November 2005 - UNICEF measles immunization campaign to reach 800,000 children of quake-hit Pakistan administered Kashmir

28 November 2005 - UNICEF and UAE Partners Shaping Model Humanitarian Agreements for Pakistani Children

For Further information, please contact:

Gordon Weiss, Communication Officer, UNICEF New York: Tel + 212 326 7426, gweiss@unicef.org

Irene Sanchez, Communication Officer, UNICEF Pakistan: Tel + 92 512097700 ext. 7810, isanchez@unicef.org

Sami Malik, Communication Officer, UNICEF Pakistan: Tel + 0300 855 6654 asmalik@unicef.org