Revitalising quake schools in Pakistani-administered Kashmir

As part of a cash-for-work programme, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been assisting local communities in two earthquake-effected districts of Pakistani-administered Kashmir in building and equipping quake-resistant classrooms. “The aim is to restore safe classroom space destroyed by the 8 October earthquake and enable students to return to normal routines while schools prepare for reconstruction [with permanent structures],” a press statement issued on Sunday from USAID, said. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at least half of the estimated 80,000 people who died in the devastating quake in northern Pakistan were children. The agency estimates almost 1 million school-age survivors need support, of which 450,000 are of primary school age. Under its US $240,000 programme to revitalise educational activities in the districts of Bagh and Poonch, USAID has paid local villagers to clear rubble from over 250 demolished and damaged school sites, provided tents as temporary classroom space, and funded classroom equipment such as blackboards, desks, chairs and books. The programme not only enables students to safely return to classrooms but also provides employment for local residents, says the USAID statement. Other efforts are being made to rapidly revive education in the quake zone. The ‘Welcome to School’ initiative is a collective intervention of humanitarian partners working in the education sector. It aims to ensure that 450,000 primary school children have returned to – or started - education by 1 April. As the education cluster lead agency, UNICEF has established over 910 tent schools outside relief settlements serving more than 144,000 students. In addition, the agency plans to provide a further 12,500 tent classrooms under the initiative. Apart from its assistance to rebuild quake-affected schools, USAID has also been providing equipment to all 848 government schools in Bagh district, with desks, chairs and blackboards for 74,000 students.