Partnership for Earthquake Reconstruction
January 2009
On October 8, 2005, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) killing 74,000, injuring 70,000 and leaving more than 2.8 million persons homeless. The U.S. response was immediate and massive. Within 48 hours of the earthquake, the first Chinook helicopters arrived from Afghanistan to provide assistance. Focusing on immediate humanitarian needs, U.S. Government (USG) assistance provided emergency shelter, relief supplies and medical help.
Emergency relief efforts were followed by USAID's transition program from April to September 2006. This follow-on program enabled residents in the affected areas to return home and to establish the foundation for long-term recovery. In October 2006, USAID began its four-year, $200 million Earthquake Reconstruction Program. The program focused on the communities most immediate needs: rebuilding schools and healthcare facilities, improving education and health services, restoring livelihoods and expanding economic opportunities.
'Building Back Better'
Working closely with the communities, USAID is rebuilding, furnishing and equipping education and healthcare facilities incorporating earthquake-resistant building standards. Community participation helps increase the sense of local ownership and responsibility, while also contributing towards better management and maintenance of the facilities in the long term.
Improving Access to Healthcare
USAID works with local health officials and citizens to improve access to vital medical care for residents of the earthquake-affected areas. USAID's programs assist regional hospitals and health centers provide immunization against childhood diseases, prevention and treatment of pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria, provision of medicines, and care for obstetric emergencies.
Long-term Investment in Learning
Working with local education officials, teachers, parents and communities, USAID's projects improve the quality of classroom instruction and student learning. Initiated in the earthquake-affected districts of Mansehra (NWFP) and Bagh (AJK), USAID expanded these programs in 2008 to Muzaffarabad and Poonch districts in AJK. USAID is training school teachers in interactive, activity-based learning and student-centered methodologies. Over 4 years, USAID will train at least 64% of the 10,933 government teachers in AJK districts and 31% of the 9,744 teachers in Mansehra district.
USAID encourages communities to participate in the management of their school by establishing and/or revitalizing 2,300 School Management Committees (SMCs). Additionally USAID is improving educational administration by enhancing the capacity of district-level institutions to manage information, finance and human resource systems.
Developing Subsistence and Enterprise
In the earthquake-affected areas of Bagh and Mansehra Districts USAID is rebuilding and expanding the region's economy through activities aimed at both households and sectors. USAID is assisting farmers and herders in remote areas to re-establish and expand their crops, restore and care for livestock, reconstruct animal shelters, repair water systems and restore orchards to improve income opportunities. In the Kaghan Valley and Bagh District USAID is providing more than 700 grants to support micro-enterprise in tourism, bakery, fruit, walnut, milk, meat and vegetable production and processing, and farm-related services. The program revitalizes local trade and industry by improving access to finance, re-establishing markets and expanding trading opportunities.
Ongoing Activities
Construction Projects
Period: September 2006 - September 2011
Funding: $120,000,000
Implementing Partner: CDM Constructors Inc.
GOP Partner: ERRA
Primary Healthcare Revitalization Integration and Decentralization in Earthquake-affected areas (PRIDE)
Period: September 2006 - September 2010
Funding: $28,000,000
Implementing Partner: International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Revitalizing, Innovating and Strengthening Education (RISE)
Period: September 2006 - September 2010
Funding: $17,000,000
Implementing Partner: American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Improving Livelihoods and Enterprise Development (I-Led)
Period: September 2006 - September 2009
Funding: $28,000,000
Implementing Partner: CNFA, Inc.
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Open house at the newly completed Government Girls' Middle School in Kahna Mohri, Bagh District, AJK | Photo: USAID
Accomplishments
2005-2008 Budget: $150M
2009 Budget: $ 50M (expected)
'Building Back Better'
- Complete construction on 1 boys' high school & 2 girls' middle schools
- Construction ongoing at 17 schools
- Construction ongoing at 15 basic health units
- Design underway for 11 schools & 1 hospital
Improving Access to Healthcare
- Activated 100 out of 116 Health Management Committees
- Initiated quality improvement processes in 94 out of 121 health units
- Trained 138 health unit managers on disease surveillance & response
Water users association in Mansera District discussing management, operation and users fees for irrigation water | Photo: USAID
Accomplishments
Long-term Investment in Learning
- Trained 5,025 teachers in student centered, critical thinking methodologies
- Established/revitalized 2,300 School Management Committees
- Improved usage of education data for decision making by district education mangers through training on Education Management Information System (EMIS) processes
Developing Subsistence & Enterprise
- Contributed to a 45% overall rise in agricultural income in earthquake-affected regions
- Introduced hybrid & certified seed, resulting in more than 300% increase in production yields
- Developing agricultural & tourism value chains, resulting in the support of 1,778 new & existing enterprises, employing more than 8,500 persons
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