ISLAMABAD, Sept 21: Warning of a major health crisis in the quake-affected areas during the forthcoming winter season, the United Nations said on Thursday that the recovery process could take as long as a decade and the Early Recovery Plan (ERP) needed to be fully funded.
“The recovery will not be completed next year, not in two years, or even five years from now, it may take as long as 10 years,” said Kathleen Cravero, Director of United Nations Development Programme’s Global Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery at a news conference here.
She said that the first anniversary of the October 8 earthquake that killed over 73,000 in a couple of weeks was the right time to tell the world that the government was doing its part and the communities were on their feet, but the task was still not over, major challenges of recovery lay ahead and the ERP needed full funding and support by the international community.
The $270 million ERP now stands 64 per cent funded. Massive funding shortfalls have been noticed in the health sector which has been barely 35 per cent funded.
Ms Cravero said that during her visit to the quake-affected areas, she was very much impressed by the progress made during one year and the resilience and determination of the victims and the authorities.
“People are not asking for handouts, rather they need support to rebuild their lives,” she said, adding that there were hardly any examples of a similar progress made in any of the areas devastated by natural calamities the world over.
Nevertheless, she hoped that the coming winter would be a mild one.
UNDP Resident Coordinator Jan Vandemoortele said the health sector was one of the weak links and he feared a major crisis if the winter were to be severe. The old and the children would be more affected if such a thing happened, he said, cautioning that a severe winter might bring a big test of the health sector.
He said the health sector had unfortunately received a very little funding in the ERP.
Around 33,000 quake victims are still living in tents almost a year after the earthquake and another 20,000 to 30,000 are likely to come down the mountains during winter.
Ninety per cent of the displaced persons had returned to their devastated homes. However, Mr Vandemoortele admitted that a very few had got permanent shelter.
He said most of the returnees had adequate temporary shelters much better than what they had last winter.
Three helicopters, he said, would also be made available during the winter to get supplies to remote areas and evacuate medical emergency cases.
