Revitalization of essential public services
Overview:
The 8 October 2005 earthquake severely damaged community infrastructure, homes and public services. UNICEF has been working with government ministries, Pakistani military, UN agencies, and non-governmental organizations to restore infrastructure for people remaining in the affected areas and for the thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) due to return from camps after March 15. The full rehabilitation process in the earthquake-affected areas is likely to take years, but initial plans for the recovery and rehabilitation phase are in place. After the disaster the immediate priority was to protect people through the winter, providing IDP camps with essential services. As the camps now close UNICEF assistance shifts to the supply requirements in revitalizing essential public services. As a priority intervention the Welcome to School initiative aims for 450,000 primary school age children to have returned to – or started for the first time - education by April 1. UNICEF Education and the Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) are working closely together across the earthquake-affected areas in this drive. UNICEF activities include the following:
Education
As Education cluster lead, UNICEF has established over 914 tent schools (outside IDP camps) serving more than 144,000 students. For the Welcome to School initiative UNICEF and its partners are undertaking massive procurement and supply: 12,500 tents, tonnes of textbooks and chalk, hundreds of blackboards plus the training of teachers. There have been 9,500 School-in-a Box kits procured, each kit with educational supplies for more than 80 students and 2 teachers such as exercise books, pens, crayons, blackboards, chalk, scissors, tape and school bags.
Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES)
Provision of safe water to IDP camps and repair of urban water systems were immediate post-earthquake priorities to provide safe water. With camp and urban coverage now at acceptable levels, the focus has moved to the upgrading and repair of rural water systems. This rehabilitation process will take a minimum of two years as the rural water systems were in poor condition pre-earthquake. Priority is being given to water systems for health facilities and schools. The availability of sanitation facilities and access to safe water at all school locations is a key component of the Welcome to School initiative.
Health and Nutrition
UNICEF, with WHO and the Ministry of Health conducted an immediate post-earthquake measles campaign that reached 1.25 million children aged under 15 and re-established EPI centres, providing cold-chain equipment and vaccines. Focus now shifts to acceleration of health sector revitalization. 150 New Emergency Health Kits, serving the needs of 1.5 million people for 3 months, have been distributed to restart health services in affected areas. Pre-fabricated structures and tents are being installed to re-open basic health units in rural areas.
Child Protection
Protection efforts to date have been focused by UNICEF, government, and local partner teams on the most vulnerable groups in need of special protection, those in the camps. Teachers and caregivers received psychosocial training to care for traumatized children. Monitoring and follow-up on protection cases initiated in camps continues as people return home. Wherever feasible, in villages child-friendly spaces will be opened near schools for pre-school children and their mothers.
