PESHAWAR, Dec 16: The United Nations Children Fund (Unicef), in collaboration with partner organizations and the Pakistan Boy Scouts Association, launched a week-long cleanliness drive in quake-hit Mansehra, officials said on Friday. In this connection an awareness walk was held in Balakot in which about 400 workers of different NGOs, local students and community elders participated. The walk terminated at the Kaghan Bridge.

Assistant Coordination Officer (ACO) Mansehra Javed Khan, executive district Officers of health and education departments, Secretary Pakistan Boy Scouts Association Shah Ali and Unicef Project Officer Mehboob Bajwa led the walk.

Main objective of the drive and walk is to combat diarrhoeal diseases and highlight the importance of safe drinking water, hands washing and solid waste disposal in camps and among affected communities, said Unicef programme officer, Dr Abdul Jamil.

Boy Scouts, workers of NGOs Philanthrope, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Action Against Hunger, Concerned Pakistan as well as community elders from Ghari Habibullah held placards and banners inscribed with “Let life smiles again”, “Wash your hands with soap before eating”, “Use safe drinking water”, and “Keep your environment clean”.

Addressing the participants the ACO Mansehra said that in the quake-affected areas chilling winter had made women and children prone to serious health problems.

“By washing hands and keeping our environment clean we can combat many diseases. Women and children need special care and attention. By strengthening preventive side we can avoid outbreak of diseases and subsequent disabilities”, he added.

Chairman SDF Jahanzeb Salik expressed concern over deteriorating health conditions of the people living in the upper valleys of Balakot and called upon the government and NGOs to improve water and sanitation, health and education and implement rehabilitation projects in these areas without further delay.

Unicef’s official said that he attached top priority to provision of potable water to people, cleansing and disinfection of existing water resources, improvement of water and sanitation infrastructure and management of diarrhoeal diseases.

He said that during the week-long cleanliness drive the affected population would be motivated to keep their environment clean by holding different activities. In the next phase radio sets would be distributed in camps to provide quake-hit people accurate information about ongoing relief and rehabilitation process.

“Thousands of young people, family leaders and community elders will be nominated as ‘Rahbars’ who will convey information on health, education, child protection and inform people about importance of child immunisation”, he added.