lho rapid assessment report for district chitral floods 20150725 · 2015. 7. 25. ·...

LHO Emergency Response Team Lawari Humanitarian Organisation (LHO)

Rapid Assessment Report on District Chitral Floods, July 2015 Email: [email protected]

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Contents

1. Back Ground ................................................................................................................................ 2

2. Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 3

3. LHO Rapid Assessment for Flood Affectees Chitral: ...................................................................... 4

3.1. District Chitral ...................................................................................................................... 4

3.2. General Findings ................................................................................................................... 4

3.2.1. Infrastructural Damages and Inaccessibility: ....................................................................... 4

3.2.2. Local Market Functionality: .................................................................................................. 5

3.2.3. Situation of Food Security and Livelihood (FSL): .................................................................. 5

3.2.4. Shelter and NFIs .................................................................................................................... 6

3.2.5. Availability and access to Health services: ........................................................................... 6

3.2.6. WASH: ................................................................................................................................... 6

3.2.7. GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE: ................................................... 7

3.2.8. Presence of NGOs: ................................................................................................................ 8

3.2.9. Emergency Needs Prioritization for Flood affectees: ........................................................... 8

3.2.10. CROSS CUTTING ISSUES: ....................................................................................................... 8

4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: .................................................................................... 8

4.1. FOOD SECURITY ND LIVELIHOOD: ........................................................................................ 9

4.2. SHELTER AND NFIs: ............................................................................................................... 9

4.3. WASH ................................................................................................................................... 9

4.4. Health .................................................................................................................................. 9

5. Annexure

Appendix: attached VAM Sheet



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1. Back Ground The torrential rains started on 16th July have triggered floods and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) events throughout the District of Chitral. The flood started at the midnight on the 15th and 16th of July 2015 in different villages of Sub Divisions i) Chitral and ii) Mastuj of District Chitral. The flood is continuously flowing till date and ratio of damages and losses are expected to rise higher with the each day passing under flood conditions and rain forecast till 30th July 2015. The recent disaster in Chitral has caused severe damages to the road and bridges infrastructure. It has cut off the affected areas from humanitarian access to attain real time need assessment and front foot mapping of the affected particularly those more exposed to vulnerability and damages of the flood. The situation is also hampering the process of assistance to the affected and might be a potential limitation in future humanitarian initiatives and responses.

Lawari Humanitarian Organization (LHO) being a native organization belonging to Dir Upper deployed its regional team of volunteers to Chitral on 17th of July 2015. The objective of LHO team was to extend emergency support to flood affected of Chitral for their evacuation from flood areas to safe places in surrounds. LHO conducted the need assessment in consultation with WFP provincial Office while implying UN-WFP VAM criteria and tools. The main purpose of this preliminary assessment was to get a better understanding/analysis of the vulnerability caused to populations in different Sub Divisions, Tehsils, UCs and Villages of District Chitral. The report in below is the narration/ evaluation of the analysis of the needs assessment of affected gathered through VAM Sheet, field observations and information gathered from key informants and stakeholders involved at field. Secondary data is also gathered from PDMA and relief Websites, ISPR Circulars, journalists’, print and electronic Media and used as a source for the validation and triangulation of the need assessment.

The assessment study highlights approximately 70 villages of District Chitral as majorly affected with torrential rains and flash flood since 17th to 25th of July 2015. Mostly villages are not accessible and out of reach to aid workers and are yet to be discovered as affected. Approximately, 32290 Households in 19 UCs of Sub Division Chitral and Sub Division Mastuj are affected with the recent flash floods. 55% of the affected populations have



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lost crops and ripe fruits from their lands and orchards due to torrential rains and floods1. Nearly, 834 Livestock is lost along with considering amount food stocks consecutively. It is found that 369 Houses are partially or fully damaged and the approximately 15000 Households have has been displaced to safe places2 to avoid further risk of life. Presently Chitral flood affected rescue operations are underway by military, Paramilitary and District administration. 43 Deaths have been reported till 25th July 2015 with dozens of serious injuries are reported today 25th July 2015 in the flood-hit areas of District Chitral3.

2. Methodology LHO conducted Rapid Assessment in the accessible villages of the affected UCs in district Chitral. The assessment lasted for five days i.e. 21st to 25th of July 2015. The assessment is conducted and findings are analysed on the bases of the triangulation of primary and secondary data sources. Primary sources and methods included and are not kept limited to the interviews with Key informant from any walk of life present either at the flood spots, rather in addition, researcher observation and accessible flood site visits are also made for the validation of the responses. Secondary sources included data from district administration, ISPR department, media and social networking etc. The teams of volunteers were advised for transit walks in the flood areas to have authentic assessment, information and grass root understanding of the areas.

The statistical unit for this need assessment study is taken as the Key informant from each area, assuming the situation, needs and gaps as generalized to the specific location. An individual is defined in this assessment as a

1 See Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Sheet attached as annex with the report. 2 Ibid 3 Geo News, reported in hourly Bulletin at 1500 Hrs Pakistani time, dated 25th July 2015.



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physical entity for assessing damages and vulnerability analysis. In fact, a family rarely seems to be living collectively/at one place for an assessment of such nature, enabling the team to gather household level information.

3. LHO Rapid Assessment for Flood Affected Chitral: Most of the areas are currently inaccessible, as the roads and bridges have been cut off at various points. The assessment team visited the lower areas of the district i.e. the area from the start of the district to Chitral town and 50 Kilometers ahead of Chitral till the Kuragh point where from the road is cut off. The areas covered by the assessment team include the areas of Drosh and Broze that are most affected areas. LHO decided to focus on the areas as being the worstly hit during the recent floods and remain underdeveloped majorly due to access.

Lawari Humanitarian Organization (LHO) led this rapid assessment for Flood Hit Sub Divisions Tehsils, UCs and villages of district Chitral along with the related immediate needs across the affected areas covering outreach/communication, WaTsan, Food Security and Livelihood (FSL), Health and Shelter/ NFIs etc.

3.1. District Chitral Chitral is located on the northern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the largest Districts in KPK on the basis of territory and covers 14,850 square kilometer. It shares a border with Gilgit-Baltistan to the east, with Kunar, Badakshan and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan on the north and west, and with Swat and Dir to the south. A narrow strip of Waakhan Corridor separates Chitral from Tajikistan in the north. Chitral is counted amongst the highest regions of the world, sweeping from 1,094 meters at Arandu to 7,726 meters at Tirichmir, and packing over 40 peaks more than 6,100 meters in height.

Administratively Chitral is divided into Two Sub Divisions i) Chitral and ii) Mastuj having Seven Tehsils and twenty-four union councils. The district has a population of about 414,000. The general population is mainly of the Kho people, who speak the Khowar, which is also spoken in parts of Yasin, Gilgit, Dir and Swat. Chitral is also home to the Kalash tribe, who live in Bamburait and two other remote valleys located in the southwest of Chitral town.

3.2. General Findings

3.2.1. Infrastructural Damages and Inaccessibility: Chitral is divided into three areas. Lower Chitral covering the down district demography up to the Chitral Town. The Upper Chitral area is above the Chitral town to the last Village of Mastuj and the third, Garm Chashma area from Chitral Town to gogore point. Road is cutoff at different points in the area due to which thousands of population is inaccessible. 50-kilometer road ahead of Chitral town towards the north is cutoff at Kurragh Village and at different points ahead of it. This makes the area accessible from down district to Kuragh. It also breaks up from Kuragh at the point of Mastuj. On the garam Chashma side the road is cutoff at 10 Km distance from Chitral town at Seentosht Village and the areas above are inaccessible up to the last point of gogore.



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Overall 48 bridges have been washed away making the area inaccessible and confining the inhabitant’s movements to a very limited area which directly increases the people vulnerabilities to food, NFIs, drinking water supplies and health facilities access etc. The people have no access to the markets as the area is demarcated at 30 different points by cutting off in roads and communication.

The Chitral district disaster management authority has also reported 161 fully damaged houses and 45 houses as partially damaged However the numbers have increased to 369 due to recent rainfall. Apart from it there has been severe damage to the water supply lines. Currently water is provided through tankers in the main Chitral. Cattles and livestock have also been dead in the floods. Agriculture land, shops, mosques irrigation channels have also been severely damaged by the floods and rains. The MET and the DDMU have forecasted more rains in the upcoming days that will increase the chances of floods, GLOFs and further damages.

3.2.2. Local Market Functionality: The local markets of Chitral draws most of it supplies from District Dir Upper. The supplies in routine are largely disturbed. The existing stocks are limited and will last for few days. The food items need to be reached to the markets that are only possible if the roads are intact. The utility stores of Pakistan and in ground to support as per information collected from the District Administration. For some people the markets are inaccessible if they are in the demarcated/ divided part, which has no market. The people of Chitral who have low income and agriculture yield and subsequently low capability of food storage are highly vulnerable, as they have lost their crops and food stocks due to heavy flood.

3.2.3. Situation of Food Security and Livelihood (FSL): The general findings of the study illustrating the situation of FS&L in flood-affected areas of Chitral are described as below;

The findings of the assessment study depict insufficient provision of food or any other kind of aid from humanitarian actors rather the food ration distributed by PDMA and Pak Army may not cater the need of affected population has received very basic aid of food yet. The highest average of money is spent on stipple food i.e. Wheat flour. The study also demonstrates that the community is keen to fulfil the basic need for survival and give least importance to the quality of ration for their food. There is also rising inflation in ghee/ oil, sugar, tea and various food commodities prices due to non-availability in market and will deprive soon from the main ingredients of food/nutrition in few days.



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The assessment highlights that food is available to 80 % people for less than two weeks that imply that the community is highly vulnerable in terms of the availability of food. The loss of food stocks and crops coupled with the loss of livelihood sources and meagre food stuff at markets will aggravate the food security situation of the flood affected population in Chitral throughout the relief, recovery and rehabilitation phases.

3.2.4. Shelter and NFIs The affected populations who have moved from their houses are residing temporarily with their relatives. The people are in need of NFIs and shelters as due to the emergent nature of the floods they were not having sufficient time to take their belongings with them. PDMA, Pak Army, PRCS and governmental departments have distributed NFIs to accessible areas but still there is need of blanket coverage of NFIs and Shelters to affected in-accessible population as per their needs. As per the secondary data of the district administration, 45 Tents, 360 Blankets, 45 Hygiene Kits, 90 Tarpaulin sheets and 45 stoves have been provided by PRCS, which depicts very low coverage of affected population.

3.2.5. Availability and access to Health services: The assessment finds that the disruption of roads and bridges at different point has affected 60% of the Chitral population to access the district head quarter hospital. 30% of the areas inhabitants do not have access to BHUs as they are either damaged or cut off from the villages. The study concluded that BHUs, even in normal conditions are hardly accessible to a large portion of the population. The BHUs are also having shortage of staff and services and items to cope flood emergency situation.

3.2.6. WASH: The Assessment results shows that people had multiple options of drinking water before the emergency in their region such as Govt. water supply schemes, springs and protected well. Recent flash floods has damaged or contaminated mostly of these supply schemes. The district administration has started water provision through water tankers but it is limited to Chitral town only. The source of district administration depicts that overall 28 water supply schemes have been damaged and are in need of rehabilitation. The study concludes provision of drinking water as one of the most priorities to be addressed immediately.



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The assessment study also depicts that people have no lavatories at household level and are using open fields to defecate. Due to concentration and flood damages conditions in houses the lavatories utilization is also not up to the mark. There is no separate latrine for women and men in public building due to which it’s a major barrier for women accessibility.

3.2.7. GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE: It has been observed that the Army and Chitral Scouts are providing the relief assistance. Military has two helicopters and one C-130 engaged in airlifting of FIs and NFIs. According to district administration, the military helicopters to the cutoff areas have airlifted 130 tons of NFIs and FIs. Apart from it District administration has provided 150 tents, 188 Blankets and 500 Mats to the affected population while food packages have been provided to the household of 367 fully damaged houses. The livestock department has started animals’ vaccination campaign to avoid animal diseases outbreak.



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3.2.8. Presence of NGOs: According to the assessment study there are very few NGOs working in the area. The area has been underdeveloped and there is yet not any formal notification issued by government authorities for NGOs involvement.

3.2.9. Emergency Needs Prioritization for Flood affected:

• Almost 100% of the Key informants concluded that Food is the immediate need. The affected population does not have access to markets and have limited storage capacity that can make them highly vulnerable to food security stances.

• As per the study findings, the fully damaged houses are more than 369 approximately. The people from the fully damaged and partially damaged houses have moved to safer places mostly to their relative houses leaving behind their limited food stocks and NFIs and are in immediate need of NFIs assistance.

• The 3rd prioritized need is water. The water supply infrastructure has been badly damaged by the floods. According to the study results, almost 80% of water supply sources have either been damaged or contaminated. There is immediate need of provision of clean drinking water. As per the district administration 28 water supply lines/schemes have been completely damaged including the water supply to Chitral town. Currently water tankers are providing clean drinking water to Chitral town while for the rest of the area there is no adequate arrangement.

• The 4th priority is the shelter. The affected population houses either partially or fully damaged mostly has moved to their relative houses but due to small houses there is not enough space to accommodate the displaced families. There is probability to start working on the rehabilitation of damaged houses for necessary emergency shelter.

• According to study the 5th priority is the health. As the roads have been cut off at different points and the hospitals are mostly located in the main town. People cannot access the areas. The BHUs are mostly damaged and has limited resources. Health teams in their areas along with the medicines may reach people to cater their medication needs and ensure first aid to affected population. The in time health services response will mitigate the risk of contagious and water borne diseases.

• The Restoration of Roads and Bridges infrastructure carries great priority that will support in covering the other priorities. Furthermore Fuel is also a priority that needs to be catered.

3.2.10. CROSS CUTTING ISSUES:

-‐ Provision of community based psychological support and child protection related activities -‐ Provision of community based psychological support for women and GBV related activities -‐ Support Education for children of the area -‐ Support Reproductive Health -‐ Supplementary food and powdered milk for children

4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Due to the limited time, the data collected and the analysis are intended to give an overview of the general situation in the assessed areas for WASH, shelter, Health, Food security and Livelihood and NFI emergency programming. It should therefore not be taken as an exhaustive assessment, but rather as a starting point for WASH, Health, FSL, shelter and NFI programs incorporating the emergency phase.



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From the analysis of results across the assessed area, it is clearly noted that there are outstanding needs and gaps. The presence of humanitarian actors is limited and therefore there are gaps in the coverage of humanitarian needs, given the size of the areas, the number of IDPs and the feedback from the communities. The points below summarize the priority sectorial recommendations and proposed responses based on the assessment findings.

4.1. FOOD SECURITY ND LIVELIHOOD:

-‐ Provision of Relief food packages; -‐ Provision of Cash grants; -‐ Initiating cash for work and food for work activities; -‐ Provision of cash for livelihood activities;

4.2. SHELTER AND NFIs:

-‐ Provision of Cash for rent to compensate and support the living of people affected; -‐ Minor Repair of unfinished buildings and inadequate houses; -‐ Provision of fuel or gas for cooking purposes; -‐ Provision of NFIs as per SPHERE standards; -‐ Provision of tents and tarpaulin sheets -‐ Reconstruction and rehabilitation of damaged houses.

4.3. WASH Given the needs identified by the report, the following steps are recommended to address WASH needs:

-‐ Improvement of community water supply; -‐ Properly protecting contaminated springs with a spring catchment and where relevant a spring box; -‐ Constructing concrete aprons around dug wells; -‐ Excavation of dug wells; -‐ Repair of boreholes; -‐ Rehabilitation of the water supply schemes; -‐ Household level water treatment methods (boiling and chlorination) should be intensified and promoted to

prevent water borne diseases; -‐ Cleaning and Chlorination of the communal water sources like tube wells by installing inline dozing pumps/Chlorinators on the sites; -‐ Rehabilitation of WASH infrastructure in BHUs and schools; -‐ Provision/rehabilitation/improvement of water points within the compound (dug well or piped delivery); -‐ The rehabilitation of the tube wells for safe drinking water to institutional structures and the communities; -‐ Prioritize hygiene promotion in all the Flood affected areas by mobilizing the local community; -‐ Monitoring System in place including Water Quality monitoring & Surveillance on the sites; -‐ Coordination needs to be continued at the provincial level, with stronger involvement from the Local government at the provincial and municipal levels to ensure that identified needs and gaps are being addressed;

4.4. Health

-‐ Deploying Mobile Health Units and teams; -‐ Introduction of health project including provision of doctors to BHUs along with nurses and LHVs. -‐ Provision of free of cost medicines and free medical camps; -‐ Health education promotion through available, conventional and natural remedies;

lho rapid assessment report for district chitral floods 20150725 · 2015. 7. 25. ·...

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