ISLAMABAD, Feb 27: A national action plan is being finalized by United Nations agencies involved in earthquake relief and rehabilitation work to help donors identify projects for the recovery phase.

The plan covering a one year period starting from April 6 is being drafted from inputs received from the clusters in the field and will have recovery phase specific activities.

Nevertheless, the relief operations may also continue well beyond the next harvesting season in September and many survivors are likely to remain dependent upon food assistance.

The action plan would show the projects that could be undertaken in earthquake areas after the end of the emergency period and would be targeting the pledges made during the donors conference held last year.

The early recovery process covers activities such as transitional shelter, restoration of livelihoods, institutional and legislative capacity development especially land and property management, psycho-social support, risk mitigation and preparedness, environmental rehabilitation, protection of vulnerable groups such as children, women, tenants and the landless, and the return of internally displaced people.

It also includes health and education services before permanent structures are rebuilt.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator Jan Vandemoortele explained that the smooth return of the internally displaced people was an important step in the transition from relief to reconstruction.

A task force on sustainable returns is developing an operational strategy. The priority is to ensure that the tens of thousands of families returned to their villages and hamlets in a voluntary and dignified manner.

However, he said, a lot would depend on urgent dealing with issues such as rubble removal and urban/rural planning comprising land tenure, house deeds and compulsory sale.

The immediate challenges during some of the next few months are mitigating the impact of cold and rain for the remaining winter period, improving sanitation to prevent the outbreak of diseases in the spring and preparing for a voluntary return of the displaced families.

The action plan would prevent a gap between relief and reconstruction.

The UN has assisted in opening some 900 schools in the earthquake areas, enrolling over 100,000 children. It is also assisting with 150 prefab basic health units and training of female staff and disease early warning systems.