All set to launch 'Action plan from Relief to Recovery'

The United Nations said on Wednesday that plan is ready with the Special Envoy for the South Asian Earthquake Disaster, George Herbert W. Bush for launching of the "Action Plan from Relief to Recovery" soon.
United Nations Deputy Humanitarian Co-ordinator (DHC) Jamie McGoldrick said this at a press conference held at UN Information Centre. Dr France Donnay, Country Representative UNFPA, Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Executive Director Pakistan Centre of Philanthropy and Farhana Faruqi Stocker, Country Representative, Oxfam were also present on the occasion.
He said that the one-year action plan would start from April, which has been prepared in close collaboration with the Pakistani military and civil authorities.
McGoldrick said that recovery phase would see an extension of the co-operation to be provided by the government of Pakistan, especially the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra), provincial and local governments. "There has been no second wave of deaths, no massive population movement down the mountains, no severe malnutrition, and no outbreak of epidemic" he added.
The major challenges, he said, were keeping relief operations going till the end of this month, improving sanitation especially in the smaller camps and preparing for the return of internally displaced people (IDP) on the basis of a voluntary and informed consent.
"There will be a continued risk of landslides as the snow starts to melt in the spring and even more so later in the year when the monsoon season sets in," McGoldrick warned.
He further pointed out that road accessibility remained a major challenge and it is expected that there would be a continued need for a minimum of five to six helicopters until September at least.
The deputy humanitarian co-ordinator said issues such as food assistance beyond March, camp closures, provision of healthcare, utilities, education, land ownership, rubble removal, urban/rural planning, special support to vulnerable groups and consistent provision of information about the returns process are being discussed with Erra and other partner organisations.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) leads the gender task force members, which has produced a gender checklist for emergency situations to ensure that gender concerns are integrated at the recovery phase of aid operation.
Dr France Donnay, Country Representative UNFPA said that the agency and gender task force members are supporting the ministry of social welfare in developing the national plan of action on the reintegration of vulnerable populations affected by the earthquake especially women's needs, widows and head of the households.
Farhana Faruqi Stocker, Country Representative of Oxfam that said Oxfam interventions in earthquake affected areas include continuously assessing the different capacities and vulnerabilities of women and men, ensuring that aid is properly reaching women in need, advocating for equal access to relief services, reconstruction and rehabilitation, targeting livelihood of women affected by the earthquake, ensuring full consultation and participation of women in its work.