Preliminary Flood Assessment Report Peshawar

Preliminary Assessment Report (PAR)
Field Office: Pakistan
Reporting Officer: Jamil Ahmed Awan
Report Date: 10th August 2008
Type of Disaster: Flood
Area of Impact: Human Lives, livestock, crops, Houses, schools, Hospitals, roads and bridges.
BRIEF Background Summary (What has happened, when, to whom and why)
On 4th August 2008, flood triggered by heavy rains destroyed many villages in NWFP, a local stream
(Thara Khur) flows from Landi Kotal to Charsada causing great destruction in Peshawar district. More than 12 ft high waves of water taking houses with it hit the areas from Khurasan camp to Kankola from 5th August at 1:00 am to 2:00 pm within thirteen hours covered approximately 10 kilometres distance. The areas which were hit by this wave of water had no early warning systems in place and also there was no evidence of information given to the local population living on the banks of this stream by any means that flood water is coming towards them. Due to this lack of communication and coordination, the losses which could easily have been avoided are now the fate of poor people. The area is spread in a radius of ten square kilometres.
According to the Regional Coordination Officer 130 villages have been affected, 10 people died, 12 injured and many other were missing as of 9th August 2008 but there is no record/ data of these missing persons available with RCO. More than 8000 houses collapsed completely and 4000 houses partially damaged. Majority of the completely collapsed houses were made of mud, as the population consists of economically poor people in the affected area so, the people used to live in the mud houses. The total affectees are more than 200,000 individuals. The affected areas are Badezai, Regi, Mulazai Chowk, Gul Abad, Patwar Bala, Patwar Payan, Kandar Khel, Miskeen Abad, Hassan Garhi, Bukhshi Pul, Kankola , Qazi Killi, Shahi Bala, Nishat Mill, Hariana Bala, Essa Khel Topchian, Mian Gujjar, Hariana Union Council, Larana, Ram Kishan, Nava Garay, Islamabad Karoona, Tapu, Nasapa and Khurasan Refugee Camp, all these areas are in district Peshawar.
Due to large number of livestock died there is a smell in the affected areas which is not bearable. This can lead to serious health related issues if not addressed urgently and properly.
Summary of effects of the Disaster
A. Disruption to society
Number of dead and injured: 10 died, 12 injured
Number of displaced people: More than 200,000 individuals affected by this flood, There is no record/ data of missing persons
Further threats to health e.g. disease: Skin diseases, diarrhoeal, non availability of MCH facilities and spread of diseases due to contamination of water.


B. Damage to infrastructure
Homes:
Facilities (water, electricity etc):
Commercial properties:
Agriculture:
Transport:
Health Care:
Food Supply etc:
• 8000 houses damaged

• Totally damaged water supplies in affected areas.

• Damaged to standing crops, More than 5000 big animals and 10,000 small animals.

• Damaged and destroyed many schools, water channels, roads and bridges in the entire flood affected areas.

• House hold level wheat storage facilities destroyed completely threatening food shortage.

• Damage to roads and small bridges is causing major difficulties in transportation.

• Stagnant water in open fields is causing hygiene issues particularly for children as drainage system has been destroyed or blocked at many places either due to flood water or due to debris of houses and other infrastructure.

• The students lost their school bags and stationery.

• Communities are frustrated due to non availability of health facilities in the affected areas and the available facilities are not fulfilling the purpose.

• Due to mud and slush in the affected areas there is no arrangement to search for missing persons.

• There is no search and rescue teams to help the affectees

• There is no system to clean the area so that the beneficiaries could drag their belongings.

• The host families who are giving protection to effecties are also facing problems as they don’t have enough space and resources to accommodate extra people for longer period of time.

• Due to non availability of food the signs of malnutrition are obvious.

• Carpet making industry destroyed in Khurasan camp
Summary of needs of affected population
Summary of needs of affected population
Food / potable water:
Shelter:
Clothing:
Health / sanitation:
Psycho-social needs: eg, counselling, education etc

The priority needs are the followings,

  • Food,
  • Shelter,
  • Clean Drinking Water,
  • milk for babies,
  • Hygiene Kit,
  • Kitchen Set and
  • Health services.

The main areas of concern which needs immediate attention are the out break of the skin diseses, Diarohea and hepatitis. Water is contaminated in the flood affected area; at some places it is full of dirt.
Heavy loss to the livestock and the whole area stinks which makes it very difficult to stay in that area for long.
Water purification tablets are immediately required to be distributed in the areas
The detail of collapsed houses are the followings,

In Regi Union Council there are eight Mohallas, among these eight five collapsed completely

The name of the Mohallahs are the following

  • Regi Union Council

Total damaged houses         1200

  1. Mohallah Faqeer Abad
  2. Mohallah Yousafzai
  3. Mohallah Miskeenabad
  4. Mohallah Rokazai
  5. Mohallah Kandaray
  6. Union Council  Kankola      

Village Kankola              300 houses

  • Union Council Matra 

Village Matra                   84 houses
Village Kandara Kheil    450 houses

  • Union Council Shahi Bala

Village Shahi Bala         300 houses    

  • Kharasan Camp         1350 houses

 

  • Lala Zar Colony            300 houses
  • Hassan Garhi                80 houses

 

  • Miskeen Abad                50 houses
  • Chergo Gali                    70 houses

 

  • Katar                               60 houses
  • Union Council Hariana 

            Nasapa Payen                40 Houses
Accessibility to disaster zone
As the area is very close to Peshawar city therefore accessibility is not an issue. There is an international Airport in Peshawar city and also a railway station. Most of the villages can be accessed by road except the Khyber agency due to security risks.
Local suppliers (food, blankets etc)
Local supplies are available in the market but due to this flood there is escalation in the prices of relief goods in the local markets. Therefore supplies can be provided from Rawalpindi and Islamabad also.
Government action
IRP assessment team met with Regional Coordination Officer in Peshawar, according to him Government is planning to establish 11 camps in the affected areas to provide beneficiaries with the Tents food and other non food items. However the local population living in the disaster affected area clearly refused to move to the make shift camps. The culture of NWFP is keen to provide privacy for the women, they think that by living in camps they can not have the privacy for their women, therefore they preferred to stay with in locations where their homes were located before the flood. Currently they are living in open (only men) or with their relatives (women); only Afghan refugee families who were living in Khurasan camp before this flood are agreed to stay in the make shift camps.
Lead Agency / Other voluntary Agencies in area
Many other humanitarian agencies including Church World Service (CWS), Catholic Relief Service (CRS), Action Against Hunger, Oxfam, Muslim Hands, Al Khidmat Foundation and few more organizations are doing assessment of the area. Some UN agencies are already in the Peshawar city, they are doing their assessments in the area. Local agencies are providing information and support for the assessment and response. A local organization CERD (Center of Excellence Rural Development ) helped IR in this assessment.
Coordination with NDMA and other PHF member organizations is on going for intervening in these areas.
Does the Country Office have a Disaster Preparedness Plan?
IR has Emergency Contingency plan for 5000 families to cater the needs of any disaster in the country.
Briefly summarise proposed intervention
IR planned to focuss 2000 families ( Approximately 14,000 people) in the flood affected areas, will provide shelter, Food items, Kitchen sets, Hygiene kits and Jerry cans. The proposed areas of intervention are
Regi, Kankola, Patwar Bala and Shahi Bala.
 

 

Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Charity Commission for England & Wales British Overseas NGOs for Development ( BOND ) International Red Cross & Red Crescent movement Disaster Emergency Committee ( DEC ) Security & Exchange Commission of Pakistan