Pakistan – Humanitarian Response Plan Prioritisation Statement
Pakistan
Humanitarian Response Plan:
Prioritisation Statement
From the humanitarian agencies assisting IDPs and conflict-affected people in NWFP and FATA
Introduction
This Prioritisation Statement has been produced to highlight the most recent and urgent humanitarian issues in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) relating to the worsening situation of conflict and displacement. It clarifies new and acute relief needs, the nature and scale of the response (to date, ongoing and upcoming), and major gaps that require urgent additional donor support amounting to US$35,956,491 until the end of May.[*]
This Prioritisation Statement is a complement to the Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan (PHRP), which remains the common plan and implementation framework to address humanitarian needs in 2009 – including for natural disaster response and early recovery (which, given the scale of new emerging needs in the NWFP and FATA, are not covered in this note).
Given the higher-than-expected caseload requiring assistance (compared with the scenarios in the January 2009 revision of the PHRP – see below), there is an urgent need to both scale up and prioritise elements of the relief effort. The PHRP will be reviewed in its entirety at the end of May in accordance with the evolving situation, to present a more complete and updated strategic overview of needs, responses and gaps to the end of 2009.
Numbers
· As of the revision of the PHRP at the end of January, 232,720 IDPs had been registered in nine districts and 12 camps in both NWFP and FATA. A worst-case figure of 600,000 IDPs was taken for planning purposes.
· As of 9 March, there is now a total of 547,210 IDPs in both NWFP and FATA who have been registered by the authorities, or whose registration is ongoing. There is strong reason to believe that an additional 150,000 IDPs are still to be registered (see below), meaning that the worst-case scenario is essentially surpassed.
· 380,020 of these persons have now been issued with registration documents, whilst a further 167,190 are in the process of being registered. The most vulnerable from amongst this total, a total of 75,117 people, are living in 11 official camps; a further 25,000 registered IDPs are to be moved into camps as new space becomes available. The majority is residing with host families.
· It is estimated that an additional 45,000 unregistered IDPs may be in areas already covered by the registration process, and that an additional 20,000 IDPs may be in the southern districts of the province, where registration will begin shortly. Pre-mapping of displacement outside NWFP has found an estimated 60,000 IDPs. Combining these figures gives an additional 150,000 whom the country team expect to be registered.
· In addition to operations and programmes planned in the PHRP, essential humanitarian aid deliveries have been provided on an ‘opportunistic’ basis to other conflict-affected areas, for displaced and other vulnerable groups. It is not possible to accurately assess how many people will require this type of assistance, or be accessible to humanitarian agencies, to the end of May.
· For planning purposes, several clusters (in particular food) have used a figure of 600,000 beneficiaries (combining IDPs and others in need of urgent assistance) whom they aim to be regularly assisting by end-May, and for which they are putting plans and capacities in place.
Achievements to date
In spite of the challenging operating context the agencies and clusters represented here have been successful in meeting the priority needs of a majority of the displaced. One-off provisions of relief materials have already been given to 50,000 families (around 300,000 individuals). In February alone, food and other essential services were made available to 348,000 IDPs and conflict-affected groups.
Operating Context
The operating environment remains challenging, particularly due to the volatile security situation and pressure on humanitarian space. Humanitarian agencies engaged in this response are developing a joint ‘Code of Conduct’, enshrining humanitarian principles to be used in common advocacy efforts to protect and expand humanitarian space with all stakeholders. Operations in NWFP and FATA are not without risk; strict security management systems are in place under the guidance of the UN Department of Safety and Security, with many agencies also having their own Security Officers based in Peshawar to facilitate aid operations.
Coordination is managed through the application of the cluster system in close partnership with the Pakistani Government in a variety of fora. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) co-chairs a periodic Disaster Management Team with the Humanitarian Coordinator; the IASC Operations Team meets weekly in Islamabad; the Provincial Relief Commissioner (also the Provincial Disaster Management Authority) convenes weekly meetings in Peshawar.
There is clear geographical division of labour between agencies serving the IDPs – both in camps and outside – with regular (though cautious) access possible in all camps by concerned agencies and implementing partners. The agencies represented in the PHRP have also been able to ensure provision of limited essential relief items to vulnerable groups in areas with more challenging access, including Swat, through a model of ‘remote control’, utilising carefully screened implementing partners and commercial logistics companies.
The local IASC is engaged with government on the question of potential assistance to returnees. Indications from amongst the displaced population suggest that mass return is not imminent in spite of the current ceasefires in Bajaur and Swat, and the local IASC will only provide assistance for this when there is clarity that such return will be safe, informed, dignified and voluntary. To date, there has been only limited spontaneous return, mostly by those displaced within Swat Valley.
Division of labour with other humanitarian agencies not listing their projects in the PHRP
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in cooperation with the Pakistani Red Crescent Society is covering all humanitarian assistance needs (food, NFIs, health, water and sanitation) in Timergara and Khungi camps in Lower Dir. An additional 20,000 IDPs in host communities and other camps in Lower Dir have been supported with food. In Swat ICRC has supported over 7,000 families with food and around 2,000 with NFIs.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - Belgium is providing NFIs, basic food rations, water and sanitation assistance and health services in Samarbagh, Sadbar Kalay and Munda camps in Lower Dir, and in several areas of Swat. MSF-France is providing NFIs to IDPs in host communities in Peshawar as well as water and sanitation, shelter and health services in Charsadda district.
ICRC and MSF work in a collaborative manner, regularly exchanging information with the other humanitarian actors reflected in this paper, whilst operating independently of the UN-led humanitarian effort. The funding requirements for these operations are not reflected here.
OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION AND PRIORITY NEEDS BY CLUSTER
Food Security
· The Food Cluster has steadily scaled up its provision of food assistance since August. It is now providing food in seven districts: Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Malakand and Kohat (despite the insecurity in Dara Adam Khel). Five official camps are being supported: Jalozai, Kacha Garhi 1 and 2, Palosa, Sakhakot and Benazir.
· Monthly food rations consisting of wheat flour, pulses, oil, salt, high energy biscuits, sugar and tea are being provided, with quantities determined by family size. In February 348,000 people (IDPs and 23,000 individuals in Mingora and surrounding areas in Swat) were reached with a total of 5,780 MT of food.
· In March the Food Cluster plans to distribute 6,632MT of food to 55,000 IDPs in the five WFP-supported camps, and 295,000 IDPs / other vulnerable outside camps, increasing this to 10,044 MT (for 530,000 people) in April and 11,371 MT (for 600,000 people) in May.
Funds for this Cluster have now been exhausted; to sustain operations to the end of May, $19 million is urgently required to cover procurement and delivery of 28,000MT of food rations. These figures are significantly higher than envisaged at the time of the PHRP revision, with the increases due to the higher numbers being assisted, and the need to expand this operation.
Camp Coordination, Camp Management and Protection
· Just under 550,000 IDPs have now either been registered or are in the process of being registered (see figures above). 11,897 families (75,000 individuals) are being accommodated in camps, while additional sites continue to be developed.
· The Cluster is providing a comprehensive service package of non-food items (NFIs), registration, protection monitoring, community services and shelter in all camps except those directly assisted by ICRC and partners. Outside the camps, 21,500 families have received NFI assistance, while on-going distributions will cover an additional 16,739 families, using existing stocks. The total assisted with NFIs so far is 50,136 families (300,000 individuals), or 54% of the registered population.
· Over the coming three months, the Shelter Cluster is seeking to register an additional estimated 150,000 IDPs (NWFP’s southern districts, Punjab & Sindh, and those missed out from the first two rounds of registration), and to provide NFI support to 68,000 families, inside and outside camps (43,000 of those already registered and 25,000 new registrations).
· Additional sites (1,000 families per phase) will be developed at Jalozai and Swabi for around 4,000 families. Families in these sites will be provided with shelter assistance.
· Protection monitoring will continue (including registration, care & maintenance of existing sites, camp security/administration & community services). The Ministry of Social Welfare will be supported in setting up de-registration sites at strategic points on roads leading into Swat and possibly FATA, in coordination with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
$14.7 million is required for this work, of which only $5.7 million is available. The Shelter Cluster will therefore require an additional $9 million to fund these life-saving activities.
Child Protection sub-cluster
· 25 Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs), staffed by female facilitators, have been established to cover all camps. 5,047 children (2,283 girls, 2,764 boys) are regularly participating.
· 6 female psychologists have been provided to cover the camps. So far 1,043 children (533 girls, 510 boys) and 485 women have been provided with psychosocial support and counselling. Child protection monitors are present to identify separated and unaccompanied children – so far 1,052 separated children staying with extended family members have been identified, and are being regularly monitored. To-date no unaccompanied children have been identified.
· Outside camps the sub-cluster has provided field workers to the Ministry of Social Welfare to track separated and unaccompanied children, and is supporting the development of a strategy by the Ministry to deal with this issue.
· Clothing has been distributed to approximately 11,000 vulnerable children outside camps in Swat and Kohat.
· Over the next three months the Sub-cluster will need to expand its activities in response to the increasing numbers of IDP children, particularly in Kacha Garhi and Jalozai camps, specifically by creating 9 additional CFSs. Outside the camps, the Cluster aims to support 4 Child Protection Monitors per district, focusing on the identification of separated and unaccompanied children and linking them to basic services, as well as dissemination of child protection messages, in Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi and Kohat.
Resources in the sub-cluster are exhausted at present. Maintaining current protection activities and expanding them to reach a greater number outside camps, will require approximately US$204,000.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
· The WASH Cluster is operating in all camps in accordance with SPHERE standards. Approximately 75,000 camp-based IDPs are being reached with a total of 1.4 million litres of water every day. Over 3,609 latrines have been constructed (with further construction ongoing); over 1,673 bathing places have been installed.
· Special attention has been paid to the needs of women and girls in the camps, by ensuring provision of separate latrines and private bathing facilities. WASH NFIs, including hygiene kits, jerry cans and buckets have been distributed to approximately 35,000 individuals in conflict-affected areas.
· Initial assessments of WASH needs outside camps point to critical needs in Mardan and Charsadda districts, and among populations in and from Swat; preliminary interventions in these areas have targeted 42,000 people, including through the rehabilitation of water sources and the installation of hand pumps.
In order to sustain current levels of WASH services in camps to the end of May, responding to the extension of Jalozai camp and the planned development of a new camp in Swabi, and scaling up operations outside camps to reach a targeted 75,000 IDPs and other vulnerable persons, the WASH cluster will require $3.82m. Given current funding levels available within the Cluster, this leaves a shortfall of US$3.2m.
Health
· Primary health care (PHC) services are currently being provided through 9 mobile health units (7 providing PHC services outside camps; 2 Mobile Service Units providing reproductive health services) and 16 health clinics in camps. The Health Cluster is also providing assistance through District HQ or referral hospitals. To date, mobile teams have treated 32,863 patients while over 84,000 persons have attended fixed clinics.
· 52 Mini Emergency Health Kits, 19 Cholera kits, 2 Maternal and Child Health Kits, 2 Reproductive Health Kits, 10 Basic Boxes of New Emergency Health Kits and 328 types of surgical supplies and equipment have been distributed to IDPs inside and outside camps through local government and implementing partners.
· A Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) is operating in Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Charsadda, Malakand (partially) and Lower Dir (partially). A total of 848,094 consultations have been reported. 75 alerts were received and 24 outbreaks were responded to and contained. Coordination activities have included health assessments in five districts.
Over the next three months sustaining primary healthcare services and expanding them to areas that are not yet fully covered, as well as continuing to strengthen DEWS and to maintain coordination in the Health Cluster will require $2,990,000. $520,000 is currently available, leaving a shortfall of $2,470,000.
Nutrition
· Nutrition cluster partners have been screening IDP children (6 months - 5 yrs), along with those of host families. An ongoing household-level rapid assessment (MUAC) has been finding rates of 20% global acute malnutrition (from 13,771 children screened to-date – the vast majority in camps), well above the globally acknowledged ‘disaster’ threshold of 15% even allowing for errors due to the rapid nature of the assessment[1]. A more detailed nutrition and mortality survey (2 major camps and 4 communities) is under preparation, with results expected in May.