Bulletin 6 - Logistics update

Content

UNJLC Pakistan Earthquake
BULLETIN No. 6 (Day 14)
As of 1800 hours local, October 22nd, 2005

UNJLC Bulletins aim to provide a clear and concise regular overview of the situation as it exists in the earthquake-affected area of Pakistan and contiguous areas with regards to logistics matters affecting relief work by the humanitarian community. They focus on practical issues that affect the welfare of the afflicted populace and related humanitarian work such as the status of transport routes for humanitarian supplies and personnel into the area, relevant administrative or commercial developments, air (including strategic airlift and helicopter operations), Customs and immigration matters, and availability of accommodation and fuels. They further seek to identify major issues for the humanitarian community and other interested parties, to provide relevant background and constructive recommendations on current issues, and to alert responsible parties to emerging issues. This bulletin has been produced daily since October 17th but as the emergency enters its third week, will be produced on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with effect from October 24th, until further notice.

CONTENT

1.   Free Road Transport for Relief Goods
2.   The Railway Option: Havelian
3.   Relief Air Bridges: NATO
4.   Import of Light Humanitarian Vehicles
5.   Pakistani Government Emergency Cell
6.   Road Access

1. Free Road Transport for Relief Goods

In addition to the free transportation for humanitarian cargos provided by French NGO Atlas Logistique, as noted in Bulletin 5 of  October 21st, the National Logistics Corporation, a Pakistani organisation, is offering free transportation of relief goods from its staging areas of Karachi, Hyderabad, Bahawakour, Multan, Lahore and Gujranwala, through to Mansehra. UNJLC makes no assurances as to the suitability of either service. NLC contacts are as follows:

 
2.  The Railway Option: Havelian

With Abbottabad, a large and relatively unscathed town about one hour by truck (26km) from the southernmost severely affected town of Mansehra, emerging as the most logical option for the major humanitarian logistics supply base, consideration could be given to utilising rail for major cargoes to Havelian where the railway terminates about 15km south Abbottabad.

Mansehra itself is developing as one of the major hubs in the logistics operation but has insufficient storage space and security to be the major supply base, and insufficient operating areas for the helicopters needed to service the less accessible areas further north and east.

Overall administration of the state-owned Pakistani Railways falls under the Pakistan Ministry of Railways. The affected areas come under the Ministry's Rawalpindi Division. This connects in the east and south to the Lahore Division (covering the sea port of Karachi) and in the west - to Peshawar - to the PSC Division. The Director of Operations is Mr. Nasir Zaidi, telephone (051) 920-3886, Ministry of Railways, Block D, Islamabad. He may be contacted for policy issues and for rate and charge negotiations, including the possibility of free services to the humanitarian comm-unity during the emergency. The Chief Traffic Officer is Mr. Maqsood Ahmed Khan, based in Lahore, telephone (42) 920-1883. He has overall responsibility for manage-ment of the railway system. Requests for assistance outside Rawalpindi Division should be directed to Lahore.

Rawalpindi Division is at Station Road, Rawalpindi under Divisional Superintendent Mr. Noor Muhammed Khan Mahsood, tel (051) 927-0851, mobile (0300) 437-2757. The Divisional Traffic Officer, to whom requests for assistance in the Division should be directed, is Mr. Abdul Hameed Razi, telephone (051) 927-0858.

Cargo Services:

For cargo operations form Rawalpindi to Havelian, transit time is five to six hours. Available capacity is 50 wagons of 22 tonnes each, or about 1,000 tonnes per day. With 24-hour operations, the system can run three to four trains per day, or 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes per day. Good capacity exists for the next 15 to 20 days. All cargo loading has to be done at the Rawalpindi railhead. Pakistani Railways can arrange labour for loading but offloading at Havelian must be arranged by the consignee. Two days prior notification is required for all services.

Note that the wagons cannot accommodate standard shipping containers. Requests for handling of contain-erised cargo should be directed to the Lahore Office.

Passenger Services:

Should the humanitarian community use rail to move people out of the affected area, the transit time for passenger services between Rawalpindi and Havelian is 3-1/2 hours. Nine coaches of 88 seats each are available, for a total train capacity of about 800 people. With up to three trains daily, the system can move a maximum of 2400 people per day, less with luggage and animals

Each coach has 16 bench-type seats where it is possible for medical cases to lie down. They are not, however, configured for stretchers. Major or special passenger services require one day's advance notification.

UNJLC will investigate transit times and rates from Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar to Rawalpindi, and clarify with the Ministry the possibility of free or discounted humanitarian transport during the emergency.

3.  Relief Air Bridges: NATO

In addition to the airlifts by major UN agencies, inter-national organisations - particularly the International Federation of the Red Cross with IL-76 aircraft - and NGOs, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has established an airbridge from Europe to Pakistan. As of today, tasked aircraft have flown 14 flights with 193 tonnes of shelter items and camp equipment from a number of European countries and UNHCR tents from Turkey. Three further flights with UNHCR tents are planned for tomorrow. Twelve C-17 or Boeing 747 flights are available to reinforce the operation mid-next week.

A sealift to take oversized goods and equipment is also being considered.

NATO will consider requests from third parties such as UN Agencies and NGO's to move humanitarian relief cargo on the airbridge, strictly on a case-by-case basis. Flights depart from Ramstein, Germany. Approved users must move their cargo to Ramstein promptly once called forward, nominate a consignee in Pakistan, and clearly mark all freight. Aircraft will use the Chaklala military side of Islamabad International Airport and consignees must meet incoming aircraft and arrange to remove cargo from the field immediately. No storage or holding facilities are available to UN, IO or NGO users on site.

UNJLC Islamabad has been tasked to coordinate all UN and NGO requests for this service and act as the UN focal point within Pakistan. They will collect applications, prioritise them in accordance with guidelines established by the Humanitarian Coordinator in consultation with the Government of Pakistan and then forward them to NATO headquarters for consideration. UNJLC will monitor requests and inform bidders of progress and the outcome of their requests.

For successful applications, UNJLC will establish contact with the designated consignee and apprise them of flight details and arrival times, as well as airport procedures at Chaklala.

A bidding proforma will be developed and, once approved by NATO, posted on the UNJLC website. In the meantime, requests may  be made by forwarding the following information to Mr. Brian Isbell at brian.isbell@wfp.org , telephone +92 (0) 300 856 0164:

• Brief but meaningful description of items; 
• Weight in kg;
• Volume in metric dimension;
• Type of packaging i.e.  bales, rolls, cartons, crates;
• If pallletised, type and dimensions of pallets;
• Details of any hazardous cargo;
• Current location and ready-to-move date;
• Proposed means of transport to Ramstein;
• Any special considerations or requests;
• Details of the originator, including as a minimum name, organisation, position, e-mail, telephone numbers (landline and mobile), and the same  details for an alternate point of contact; and
• Details of consignee (and alternate) in Pakistan with, as a minimum, the same  detail as above .  

Information on procedures at Chaklala may be obtained from Daniel Sajet on dbsajet@hotmail.com, telephone +92 (0) 300 852 6398, and will be posted byUNJLC.

4.  Import of Light Humanitarian Vehicles

Further to earlier advice on the importation of humanitarian light vehicles (Bulletin 5 of October 21st) NGO's and IO's are invited to advise UNJLC at john.levins@unjlc.org of details of any issues encountered in importing vehicles by land, sea or air, particularly Customs exemption.  It is understood that the Pakistani Government has granted exemptions on Customs duty for all humanitarian aid and equipment, including vehicles, associated with humanitarian aid, for an initial period of three months.

5.  Pakistani Government Emergency Cell

According to the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Emergency Co-ordination Cell (as noted in Bulletin 5 of October 21st), a summary of the human effect of the disaster and the response of the authorities is as follows:

 Other areas include Punjab, North-ern Areas, Islama-bad

A further nine people are still listed as missing in Islamabad. No figures are available for people missing in other areas. All figures are estimates.

 It is unclear why so many more military personnel were hospitalised than were recorded as injured, and why the proportion of injured civilians hospitalised is so low.

  
The Federal relief effort, excluding that of the UN, NGO's, private donors and the Pakistani provinces, is as follows:

   
 6.  Road Access

Road access status in the North West Frontier Province remains largely unchanged over recent days, according to the UN Department of Safety and Security.