House-to-house survey kicks off in quake zone

As part of its massive reconstruction effort, Pakistan's Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) on Friday started a house-to-house survey in quake-affected areas to assess damage for subsequent house rebuilding grants to some 600,000 families before the next winter sets in. Over 650 teams have been established to survey the houses over the next ten days across nine quake-affected districts, including five in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and four in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Quake survivors have been advised to stay close to the site of their damaged or destroyed homes while ERRA teams visit the areas. The ERRA will provide individual payouts of some US $1,250 per damaged house and $3,920 for completely destroyed houses as compensation to displaced people currently living in tents and other makeshift arrangements. According to a joint assessment by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank, some 84 percent of all homes were damaged or destroyed in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, while in NWFP that figure stood at 36 percent after the powerful quake ripped through the region on 8 October last year. Meanwhile, since the Pakistani authorities announced the start of camp closures on 10 March, over 64,000 earthquake survivors have returned home from relief settlements with the help of international agencies. However, Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the capital, Islamabad, said that many others had left on their own to rebuild their homes with winter over. The deadline for NWFP camp closures has been postponed from 31 March to 10 April, given bad weather and poor road conditions, while the cut-off date for camps in Pakistani-administered Kashmir stands at 25 April. However, according to relief officials, the return process was expected to pick up in the coming week as the presence of the head of the family at the quake-affected site was mandatory to be eligible for the ERRA housing reconstruction grant. As of 7 April, according to UNHCR, about 30 camps have been closed, including 25 in NWFP and another five in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, leaving nearly 87,000 people in over 120 quake relief camps with 50 or more tents. To coordinate the house reconstruction, 11 Housing Reconstruction Centres (HRC) have been established across the quake zone. The centres would provide training and technical assistance to ensure safe building practices in compliance with earthquake resistant construction guidelines and standards. The HRC hubs would also have a permanent display of appropriate building techniques and training materials, as well as displays on housing related issues such as water supply, sanitation, environment, health and hygiene. Meanwhile, an information campaign was now under way to inform people about how the government plans to assist them upon their return. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been providing medical checks and transportation assistance to the returnees. As part of its efforts to make returns sustainable, UNHCR has been providing vocational training in some camps where women learn skills like embroidery and sewing, while men have learnt earthquake-proof masonry and carpentry.