31st March 2006

Content

CONSOLIDATED WEEKLY SITREP

1. Security
2. Air Operations
3. Customs and Immigration
4. Infrastructure and Static Road Assessment
5. Road Status
6. Logistics
7. Civil Military Logs
8. NFI Pipeline
9. Warehousing
10. Market Survey
11. Other Information

1.    SECURITY

General

• A bomb exploded in a market in Peshawar on Tuesday, March 28th. One person was killed and several injured.
• However the overall security situation across the area of operations has remained calm.

Batagram

• After a March 21st distribution by UNICEF in Gijbori Union Council, rumours circulated that some of the items were inscribed in a way which insulted the Muslim religion.
• Local tensions over this led to a German Red Cross vehicle being stoned by villagers.
• UNICEF are no longer travelling in their marked vehicles.
• A combined investigation by UNDSS, the local authorities and area religious leaders has proved these rumours to be unfounded. The issue remains under discussion.

• Local religious leaders have now requested that female internationals do not frequent the local market.
• UNDSS has requested female internationals to limit their movements within the town.

• A sunset to sunrise curfew remains in place at the UN base camp and office
• There is still no travel outside Batagram without a police escort with the exception of Batagram to Chatterplain.

 
Muzaffarabad

• A roadblock of burning tyres set up by angry locals stopped traffic between Kohala and Muzaffarabad for half-an-hour on Thursday, March 30th.
• The cause was a demonstration over the arrest of an area resident.

• Falling rocks and dangerous roads are presently the main security concern in the area.

2.    AIR OPERATIONS

General

• The UN country team has now officially identified its requirements and approved the budget for a continuing UNHAS fleet of 13 helicopters (10 Mi-8s, two Kamov 32s and one Mi-26), to take effect on April 1st.
• Until funding for this project is forthcoming, UNHAS will task only the four DFID Mi-8s. Some passenger flights will be cancelled until the situation is resolved.

• March 31st is the final day of operations for the eight military helicopters (four US Chinooks, two German Stallions and two Australian Blackhawks) which have been tasked by UNHAS.
• UNHAS cargo and passenger flights were cancelled on March 23rd and 26th due to bad weather.  
• There is currently no backlog of air cargo transport.
• ICRC has reduced its helicopter fleet to one Mi-8 and one Super Puma. Both will remain in operation until April 30th.

Bagh

• The demand for passenger flights still far exceeds availability.
• UNICEF is planning an air cargo operation into Bedhi due to continuing inaccessibility by road.

Muzaffarabad

• The US fuel farm was officially handed over to the Pakistan Military on Tuesday, March 28th, prior to the withdrawal of US forces on March 31st.
• The US left behind 29,000 gallons of fuel for humanitarian use, which is sufficient to cover approximately 14 days of Muzaffarabad-based relief flights. After this is finished, the Pakistan Military have announced that all operators will have to make their own refueling arrangements.

• UNHAS plans to use a system of bowsers similar to the one now in place in Abbottabad.
• There were 90-minute refueling tailbacks on March 29th due to a less experienced crew operating the fuel farm.
• Passenger flights were rerouted on March 29th and 30th due to the closure of the Neelum Stadium for a local family sports day.

3.    CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION

• Import NOC (No Objection Certificate) procedures have changed as of March 15th, 2006.
• The current procedure requires a letter to be written to ERRA on organisation letterhead justifying that the imported commodities are needed for rehabilitation and reconstruction use for the benefit of the earthquake victims. This should be accompanied by all relevant import documents and delivered to the ERRA office.

• Most goods except vehicles will be covered under this system, including operational support equipment such as computers and radios. For complete information and pertinent addresses please see www.unjlc.org/pakistan.
• Due to financial reporting requirements it is necessary for all exporters of non-commercial shipments to obtain an Export NOC from the Ministry of Commerce before export clearance can be given.
• There are two different NOC applications; one for the re-export of imported goods and one for the export of goods acquired within Pakistan. Both should be requested by official letter through the Ministry of Commerce and accompanied by the appropriate documentation. The intended port of departure should be noted so the relevant customs office can be informed. For complete information and pertinent addresses please see www.unjlc.org/pakistan.

4.    INFRASTRUCTURE AND STATIC ROAD ASSESSMENT

General

• UNJLC is continuing to collect priority road GPS data and is integrating this into the UNJLC map data set.
• In support of IDP returns and reconstruction activities, UNJLC has released an accessibility analysis of the affected area based on terrain and transport infrastructure.

• These maps are designed to provide improved method planning for both distribution and movement.
• Click for maps --> and detailed road assessment -->
• For map requests or queries please contact unjlcmapping@gmail.com.

Bagh

• UNJLC and UNOPS have conducted road assessments for Kahutta to Haji Pir, Lasdanna to Haji Pir, and Kahutta to Khur Shidabad through Kulamula.
• The data has been forwarded to the UNJLC GIS section.
• The road to Chikhar remains blocked and impossible to assess.

5. ROAD STATUS

General

• For the latest road status updates and corresponding maps, see www.unjlc.org/pakistan.

Bagh

• UNJLC Bagh is currently coordinating and assisting in route check requirements for the IDP return process.
• This will allow those involved in the returns process to see the current state of the required route and which safety measures are required. 
• Many of the Bagh area roads to be used for the return are prone to landslides and only support 4WD vehicles. Some will require a guide and/or traffic control.

• Constant road repair is underway due to the high number of landslides.

Batagram

• As a precautionary measure, UNDSS is not sanctioning road clearance activities along many secondary roads for at least two days after heavy rains.

Muzaffarabad

• The routes east of Muzaffarabad along the Neelum, Jhelum and Lipa valleys remain largely closed largely due to landslides and difficult road conditions. 

6.    LOGISTICS

General

• The Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) will be placing a District Reconstruction Unit (DCU) in each hub to coordinate the transitional/reconstruction phase of the humanitarian operation.

Bagh

• Local IDP camps will be closing soon and returns are due to resume.
• RedR is conducting training courses on camp disassembly.
• IOM is organising transport to assist the return of IDPS.

• The Pakistan Military has been asked provide support in closing roads to other traffic to facilitate the movement of convoys, however this remains under discussion.

Batagram

• Following the guidelines of the Return Framework, local Heads of Cluster have stated that sufficient NFI have been distributed locally and that return assistance packages should now be considered on a community basis once the return is complete. The local DCO has also requested that all NFI now be managed and distributed through the local government and district administration.
• This may result in an increase in current warehouse stock levels since many goods are already in place.
• Transportation would need to be planned for these items if they are to be distributed later in the year since the local authorities lack the funding.

• Batagram is ahead of other areas in the IDP return process.
• This is partly due to less general earthquake damage in the area and therefore fewer IDPs.
• The status of returns already completed in the Batagram area as of March 26th is as follows (Source: OCHA).

	Mera	Maidan	Banian	Kund	Battera	Total
Initial # of IDP Families	2,048	468	42	102	410	3.430
Returned to Date	1,712	383	32	102	209	2,438
Yet to Return	696	85	-	-	201	982
Anticipated/Completion Date	5 april	5 april	Completed	Completed	5 april	-
Residual Caseload	-	-	10	-	-	10
Anticipated Residual Caseload	80	-	-	-	40	120

* Data per family, based on an earthquake response utilized standard of six (6) persons per family;
* Residual caseload primarily due to land rights issues.

Muzaffarabad

• Attempts to initiate the returns process from Muzaffarabad camps met with 75% of IDPs refusing to leave.
• On average 380 people are moving a day.
• No IDP returns took place on March 24th due to rain.

• IOM has hired a fleet of 95 light vehicles for one month to assist in returnee movement.
• These are on permanent standby for the daily programs.
• IOM have additional vehicles on call for local return activity should they be needed.

7.    CIVIL-MILITARY LOGS

• The FRC will complete its mission on March 31st and its responsibilities will be handed over to ERRA, which will plan, coordinate, monitor and regulate all reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in the earthquake affected areas.
• Many FRC staff will be transferred to ERRA to assist in the transition process.

• For more information please see www.erra.gov.pak.

8. NFI PIPELINE

General

• UNJLC has been using the LSS (Logistics Supply System) to compile pipeline data from agencies and NGOs participating in the humanitarian operation. The goal of this project has been to provide an overview of NFI data and provide for forward planning.
• The incoming/on order, in stock and distributed figures for March have been compiled for all participating agencies and NGOs.
• Additional responses should be forwarded to tania.regan@wfp.org.
• All LSS figures and products compiled by UNJLC have now been published on the UNJLC website. These can be found at www.unjlc.org/pakistan/supply_chain/.

9. WAREHOUSING

Bagh

• The transfer of the former GOAL Chamiati warehouse to STC UK has been halted due to the location's close proximity to a local girl's school.
• STC UK and WFP are discussing erecting it in a different location as a joint user facility.

• A local agency has had large amounts of goods stored in the ATLAS short term warehouse for several weeks.
• This is taking up transit space required by other agencies and NGOs since all other warehouses are full.

Batagram

• There are still remaining stocks of NFI in local warehouses.
• Any delivery of these will have to take into account the guidelines of the Return Framework. See Logistics

Muzaffarabad

• WFP Muzaffarabad has received large amounts of cargo this week for the PRRO (Protracted Relief and Recovery Operations), in addition to supplies for regular distribution
• The PRRO program distributions cannot be started until planning is completed by the field officers and the communities. In the meantime WFP storage capacity is full.

10. COMMODITY AVAILABILITY

• For details of suppliers in the affected area see the UNJLC yellow pages at www.unjlc.org/pakistan.

11. OTHER INFORMATION

Nothing further to report