Summary:
On the afternoon of 26 October 2015, an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 struck North West Pakistan. With the epicentre in a remote part of the Hindukush mountain range, the tremor was felt in Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of northern India.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KP) and Bajaur Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were listed as the worst affected areas in Pakistan, and remained the focus of relief efforts in the subsequent weeks.
As an early winter had set in, the most critical needs would be met by winterization kits, shelter, NFIs and health interventions.
The most recent reflection of losses and damages as reported by the National Disaster Management Authority in Pakistan is presented below.
Coordination and partnerships
On the evening of 26 October, the IFRC Pakistan Delegation had its first coordination meeting with the PRC, providing technical guidance, supporting with updating of the Disaster Management Information System (DMIS), and advising on options available to the National Society. This led to development and launching of a Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) Plan of Action.
The PRC National Headquarters in Islamabad activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and has been coordinating the assessment and response efforts, maintaining communication with involved provincial branches which also activated their EOCs. The PRC has also convened coordination meetings with in-country Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Partners to update on the evolving situation, the immediate response operation and planned activities. In addition, regular situation reports are shared with Movement Partners and other organizations.
In Islamabad, the PRC coordinated with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), while at provincial and district levels, Provincial and District branches of the PRC coordinated with the respective provincial and district disaster management authorities.