February 24, 2006	Friday	Muharram 25, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 23: Over 9,000 families in Mansehra district have built quake-resistant shelters with wooden walls and tin roofs with the help of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The families have also constructed sanitation facilities, allowing for better sanitation options and hygiene practices, according to a press release issued by the USAID here on Thursday.

The USAID partner Mercy Corps provided building materials to over 6,200 households in Siran and Konch valleys, paying families Rs4,200 each for their labour.

Meanwhile, the USAID partner ACTED provided shelter supplies and household items to 3,000 families in Kaghan Valley, paying Rs800 to each family that constructed adequate sanitation facilities.

The families eligible for this support had lost their homes in the quake and preferred to spend the winter in their village than moving to a temporary camp or another home. Each family agreed to salvage wood from their destroyed home and complete specific parts of their new shelter in order to receive the next round of building supplies.

The supplies included tools like hammers, saws and nails, plastic and corrugated iron sheets and household items like stoves and bedding. As a result of the programme, several families were able to return to their areas.

Most families in Mansehra district lost their homes when the quake struck on October 8. With winter approaching, the USAID immediately responded to the need for temporary shelter and proper water and sanitation facilities.

The USAID shelter programme helps families build structures resistant to future quakes, provides families with a warm room to get through the winter and ensures safety of families that are gathering resources to rebuild permanent homes.

Proper water and sanitation facilities close to shelters improve hygiene and accessibility to safe drinking water.

The cash-for-work programmes available to those who construct their own structures enables people to buy necessary items and helps reinvigorate the local economy.