Brief Report of the Peshawar Consultation on “Flood Situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”

A consultation on “Flood Situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” organized by National Humanitarian Network and Network for the Humanitarian Assistance was held at Peshawar Press Club on August 6, 2010. Representatives of various national/local relief organizations in large number attended the consultation. Reports from District Lower Dir, Malakand, Shangla, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera and Peshawar presented their assessment reports and highlighted the issues faced in the relief work. Representative from Momand, Bajaur and Khyber Agency also briefed the consultation about the damages inflicted by the flood in tribal areas.


Following are some of the main points/ recommendations of the consultation


· Immediate restoration of link bridges/roads for smooth carrying out relief activities
· Provision of clean drinking water, foods, tents and essential NFI
· Provision of health cover / medicines to control epidemics
· Extension/coverage of relief work to far-flung and inaccessible areas
· Proper disposing off dead animals
· Immediate start of proper registration process of affectees
· Cleaning/reconstruction of agricultural canals/channels
· Provision of security to affectees living in camps and tents
· Systematic search for the missing persons
· Rehabilitation of means of livelihood
· Provision of fodder and clean water to the surviving livestock
· Checking the black marketing and price-hike in flood affected areas
· Increased in number of relief teams
· Compilation of gender-segregated data
· Taking care of special needs of children and women
· Focusing the affectees belonging to minorities and Afghan refugees
· Indiscriminate and inclusive formation of relief committees and giving representations to relief organizations in it
· Aerial spry to control epidemics
· Strong concern was shown over distribution of relief goods in night time in some areas by some relief donor/organization and it was suggested to distribute it in day-time to avoid misunderstandings and ensure transparency
· Ensuring provision of relief goods to the genuine affectees and discouraging the “professional ones”
· Better coordination among the non-governmental relief organizations on one hand and between governmental and non-governmental on other hand to avoid duplication and wastage of resources
· No political interference and likes/dislikes in distribution of relief goods
· Taking strong notice of the reports where the local relief organizations and workers were not allowed to smoothly carry out its activities it was demanded that a conducive environment for the CSOs be created and allowing all the relief organizations without any discrimination to access the flood-affectees

WFP distribution in Tarkha on demand of CRSD. Distribution of 1200 family packs.