How has the situation changed since the start of the flooding?

The Khyber Pakhtunkwa region (KPK in the North West) was the first to be hit in early August. However, the floods gradually spread south to Sind like a wave moving slowly towards the sea. The Sind region and particularly the district of Thatta is still at the emergency stage. There are more than 200,000 people living in highly-precarious conditions in camps. The flooding is not over and most areas are still affected by the water. Needs in terms of health, food and shelter remain acute. We have also noted that some minorities do not have access to aid. In these situations, the most vulnerable still face a strong risk of disease and diarrhoea.

The situation is not improving because in the north people who have lost their homes and belongings will experience harsh winter conditions, including snow, within a matter of weeks.

What’s the difference between this and the association’s previous operations?

During a conflict, such as in the Gaza Strip in 2009, or an earthquake, like in Haiti last year, the number of people with injuries is very high. In a situation like Pakistan, there are very few injured people. We therefore need to adapt our operation by focusing more on basic needs, such as access to water, paying particular attention to ensure people with disabilities and the most vulnerable are able to access aid.

What is currently being done?

We distribute some 120,000 litres of water in Sind everyday, and 90,000 litres in KPK, meeting the needs of 60,000 people. We have also set up two water treatment plants. The first, which has just been delivered, will allow us to produce 80,000 litres of drinking water a day, supplying 23,000 people. We have also set up another plant capable of producing more than 7,000 litres of water; our teams also repair water conveyance systems. In addition, the distribution of water and purification tablets enables us to win the acceptance of local populations.

Clean-up activities are still underway. By involving villagers in clearing-up debris and plant waste, we help relaunch the economy and generate jobs, while helping people return to their homes.
For those most severely affected, we are also planning to set up a psychological support project with discussion groups managed by our teams to help them talk about their experiences.

Who are the beneficiaries?

During the initial emergency stage, everyone benefits from our distributions, without distinction. Gradually, however, the aid we provide is increasingly focused on the most vulnerable, that is, people with disabilities, children under five, people with chronic illnesses, but also isolated women, pregnant women, the elderly and minorities. The first disability and vulnerability focal point was set up with this in mind. It provides aid in local areas adapted to the needs of the most vulnerable. We are going to set up others shortly.

However, we will also start distributing walking aids (crutches, walking frames, etc.) over the next few days, ensure the accessibility of water supply systems, and build accessible toilets to improve hygiene conditions.

In Sindh, in the south, we will also provide assistance to minorities excluded from aid distributions. To identify these groups, we will perform assessments to more precisely determine their needs and the most severely affected sectors. This is one of the main reasons we decided to intervene in Thatta district, a badly affected area, but very remote, where very few NGOs are active.

Background
"On a per capita basis, Lao PDR is the most heavily affected country in the world with up to 25 percent of its villages affected by unexploded ordnance (UXO) and cluster munitions. UXO still injures and kills around 300 Lao people every year. Hiding everywhere, these deadly weapons can be found in rice fields, school yards, on hillsides, in rivers, along roads and paths and even in towns. As well as posing constant danger, cluster munitions contribute to greater food insecurity of already poor and often malnourished rural people by limiting their access to farmland and killing their livestock. UXO increases poverty, makes development activities more expensive and limits the socio-economic development of the entire country. For Lao PDR, this challenge is on a vast scale as? it is estimated that it will take up to 16 years just to clear high priority land for agriculture, schools, villages and irrigation......"  (UNDP, 2008)  

Why a documentary?
This documentary was funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgium and is one of the key outputs of the 'Sustainable 101:Victim Assistance 10 years on' project currently being implemented by the Policy Unit of Handicap International (Belgium).

Working together with its partners from global civil society, Handicap International has contributed to the drafting, universalization and implementation of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. The Convention on Cluster Munitions in particular provides very strong provisions on victim assistance, largely shaped by the advocacy efforts of cluster munition survivors through the Ban Advocates initiative. On 2 September 2009, Handicap International released the report "Voices from the Ground" (VG), on progress and challenges in victim assistance seen from the perspective of landmine/ERW/cluster survivors themselves. This report followed two previous reports on the human impact of cluster munitions, namely "Fatal Footprint" (2006) and "Circle of Impact"(2007).

From 9-12 November 2010, the Lao People's Democratic Republic will host the first meeting of the states that joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which entered into force on 1 August 2010. More than a hundred states, civil society representatives and survivors of cluster munitions will gather in Vientiane to put the Convention into practice, and to find ways to meet the needs of affected people and communities more effectively.

Handicap International has opened two new bases in Pakistan to deliver emergency aid to the worst-affected populations, following the severe flooding which has devastated the country since 1st August. According to the UN, 18 million people have been affected by the floods, which have covered an area two thirds the size of the UK.

So far, more than 115,000 people have benefited from Handicap International’s emergency activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwest Pakistan. We are now expanding our operations through two new bases, one in Sindh province in the south of the country, and one in the district of Tank (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).

Handicap International’s new base in Sindh province is located in the district of Thatta, near Karachi.  The situation in the region is very precarious and so far the people of Sindh have received little emergency relief, as few organisations are currently operating there.  

“Our new base in Sindh allows us to provide access to clean drinking water to the many displaced people in the region who are waiting to return home”, explains Stéphane Lobjois, Head of Mission in Pakistan for Handicap International. “Many of them will find little of their previous life left behind. It’s also vital to take action to limit the spread of epidemics. These people are the last to be affected by the wave of floodwater as it moves towards the sea.”

Since the floods struck northwest Pakistan, Handicap International has been providing emergency relief in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, particularly in the cities of Kohat and Mingora, the district of Swat, and in rural areas. In the same province, the district of Tank has been particularly badly hit and our new base there will allow us to help the population in this area, who are in urgent need of support.

To respond to these needs, Handicap International is running 3 main projects:

• Providing access to drinking water for 330,000 people in the short term. We are making regular deliveries using water trucks, and we are also in the process of handing out 1 million Aquatabs ® (water purification tablets).
•  Distributing emergency kits. So far, kits have been distributed to 3,000 families identified as being particularly vulnerable, enabling them to process and store water, to wash and to cook.
•  A ‘cash for work’ project, involving local people in clearing away the waste and debris left behind by the floods, and removing stagnant water from towns, enabling the population to return to the area and limiting the spread of disease.

As winter arrives and the weather starts to get colder, Handicap International is planning the distribution of cold-weather survival kits, containing blankets and warm clothing, to displaced populations. 

On August 2, the Entry into Force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions was celebrated in the city of Siem Reap, a world-renowned center of Cambodian cultural heritage. The colorful, well-attended festivities included a parade, live music and songs, games for the many local children who attended, and the premier of an interpretive dance about cluster bombs put on by local students.
 
The focus of the event, though, was on the survivors of cluster munitions who attended. For many of them, it was the first time they had been to Siem Reap, and their weekend included a trip to the legendary temples of Angkor Wat.
 
Unfortunately for the citizens of this country, Cambodia was not celebrating its own participation in the treaty. Despite being one of the most heavily cluster-bombed countries in the world and having repeatedly pledged to sign during the past two years, the government of Cambodia has not yet signed and ratified the convention.

If and when Cambodia does ratify the convention, it will agree to ban the use, development, production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions in its borders as well as to destroy its stockpiles of cluster munitions within eight years and clear any land of unexploded bombs within ten years. Joining the treaty is vitally important for Cambodia because it will open the doors for more funding opportunities and send a strong message to the world that, as a victim of these indiscriminate and inhumane killing machines, Cambodia also agrees that they should be banned.

During the August 2 event, signatures of local and international attendees were collected, calling on the government of Cambodia to live up to its promise to join the convention. To this end, Handicap International Belgium has been leading local advocacy efforts in conjunction with embassies and civil society, lobbying the government of Cambodia to sign and ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
 
On another front, Handicap International Belgium has been directly working to remove the threat of cluster munitions and other unexploded ordnance from communities in Cambodia. Even though these bombs were dropped on Cambodia decades ago, a high percentage failed to go off and still pose a threat to the Cambodian people.

Our Proactive Battle Area Clearance Project currently underway in partnership with the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) and funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) is piloting more efficient systems of explosive ordnance disposal in three eastern provinces in Cambodia. This approach proactively removes all known unexploded ordnance from priority villages instead of waiting to react to singular requests for disposal.

Handicap International Belgium is also working in Cambodia to train local police to better respond to emergency situations involving unexploded ordnance. Through donations from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belgium and Finland, HIB has been working to implement an autonomous police training program for risk reduction services related to explosives remnants of war.

Mine action in Cambodia has come a long way in reducing the number of casualties, but with an estimated 46% of all villages in Cambodia affected by mines and unexploded ordnance, it is imperative that the relative success of the past doesn’t turn into the complacency of the future. Cluster munitions continue to have an impact on the lives and deaths of the Cambodian people. As a country suffering from the affects of these weapons, it is crucially important that Cambodia acknowledge the intolerable casualties that they inflict on children and other civilians even decades later in times of peace.  
Handicap International Belgium hopes that both of its important roles in advocacy and direct implementation of projects to remove cluster munitions in contaminated communities will aid in the prevention of disability and make Cambodia a safer place for future generations.

Nick Boedicker, Humanitarian Mine Action Program Manager
Handicap International Belgium - Cambodia

The worst natural disaster in Pakistan’s history has affected 20 million people, equivalent to twice the Belgian population, destroyed 300,000 homes, killed 1,500 people and raised fears of an epidemic. The population is in desperate need of aid.

Handicap International has already supplied aid to 30,000 people since 1 August and is continuing its work on the ground. Three additional expatriate staff will shortly arrive in the region to support our 100-strong emergency response team. This team is currently working in the province of Khyber Pashtoun Khan (KPK), and particularly in the cities of Kohat and Mingora (Swat) and in rural areas.

Handicap International’s Emergency Response team is distributing drinking water in the northwest of the country, a key factor in preventing the spread of epidemics, in particular cholera. Handicap International is also repairing water supply systems - pumps and water reservoirs - destroyed by the flooding. The distribution of emergency packs enable families to process and store water, to wash and to cook. A clear-up project has also begun in the districts of Hangu, Swat and Kohat. Handicap International is involving local people in clearing away the waste and debris swept along by the floods, and removing stagnant water from towns, enabling the population to return to the area and limiting the spread of disease.

The organisation is planning to open an additional base in the district of Tank.
 

“Handicap International, like many other NGOs, has not received enough funding for its relief effort in Pakistan, and, without sufficient support, is not in a position to take all necessary action,” says Stéphane Lobjois, Handicap International’s head of mission in Pakistan.

Support Handicap International’s emergency projects in Pakistan with an online donation.

Handicap International is part of the Belgian consortium for emergency relief. See also www.1212.be. 

Handicap International in Pakistan
Handicap International has built up extensive expertise in crisis situations following its work in El Salvador and India (2001), Iran (2004), China (2008), Indonesia (2005 and 2009) and Haiti (2010), as well as Pakistan (2005 and 2009). The association therefore provides direct aid to the most severely affected victims. To ensure the most vulnerable, the elderly, pregnant women and people with disabilities are able to access responsive and sustainable aid, Handicap International is setting up local facilities - Disability and Vulnerability Focal Points - located close to population centres. These focal points help identify the most vulnerable and offer care, walking aids and emergency packs according to identified needs.

The situation in Pakistan has seriously deteriorated over the last week, with heavy rainfall worsening the flooding in the north-west and south of the country. The Pakistani government has recognised that it is facing a natural disaster on a far greater scale than the 2005 earthquake. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates the number of victims at around 14 million in the provinces of Baluchistan, Khyber Paktunkhwa, Sind and Punjab. The disaster has so far claimed more than 1,500 lives and destroyed over 290,000 homes. “During a natural disaster like the one currently affecting Pakistan, you’re faced with an ongoing emergency”, explains Stéphane Lobjois, head of mission for Handicap International in Pakistan. “For the last 13 days we have experienced a highly critical situation in which the population’s suffering has shown no signs of abating and the situation is not improving.”

On 2 August, Handicap International decided to release €100,000 in general funds to ensure a swift response to the natural disaster.

Handicap International’s Emergency Response Department acted very quickly to organise the distribution of clean drinking water, a key factor in preventing the spread of epidemics, in particular cholera. Drinking water is still being distributed in the area. Handicap International is also helping people access water by repairing water supply systems (pumps) destroyed by the flooding.
The organisation has also begun distributing 7,000 kits*, enabling families to purify and store water, and to wash and cook.

A clean-up project has also begun in the districts of Hangu, Swat and Kohat. Handicap International is involving local people in clearing away the waste and debris swept along by the floods and removing stagnant water from towns, enabling the population to return to the area and limiting the spread of disease. This project should soon be extended to other areas.

Present in the country since the 2005 earthquake, Handicap International runs several projects in Pakistan and has launched two large-scale emergency operations in the past, most recently in 2009 when three million people fled fighting in the Swat Valley. The organisation was therefore already present in the regions affected by the flooding. Handicap International currently has a team of around 150 people on the ground.

* 3,000 hygiene packs (soap, towels, toothpaste, cotton wool, mosquito repellent, etc.); 3,000 water treatment and storage packs (bucket, jerrycan, glasses, etc.); 1,000 cooking packs (saucepans, plates, etc.)

A central role in the effective coordination of humanitarian aid

As part of the management of a logistics platform of 70 lorries, under the auspices of the World Food Programme (WFP), Handicap International has transported humanitarian aid for some one hundred organisations, including some fifteen Haitian structures.

On 26 January 2010, the UN and the WHO entrusted Handicap International and the German organisation Christoffel-Blindenmission (CBM) with jointly coordinating all rehabilitation actions for injured persons in Haiti, the fitting of orthopaedic devices and the provision of assistance to people with disabilities.   To achieve this, these two associations are working with the Haitian Ministry for Public Health and Population (MSPP) and the Secretariat of State for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities (SEIPH) and all other  stakeholders operating in these fields.

10,000 people already cared for by Handicap International

To date, more than 10,000 people have benefited from Handicap International’s health actions; over 55,000 rehabilitation sessions have been performed; 4,000 technical aids have been distributed (mobility aids and orthopaedic devices); almost 300 people have been or are in the process of being fitted with a prosthesis and almost 200 with an orthosis. Handicap International has also implemented psychosocial support actions concerning 13,000 people.

Over 13,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid transported since 14 January

Out of the total transported tonnage, 9,000 tonnes concerned food. More than 4,600 tents were distributed, providing shelter for 25,000 people. Lastly, more than 2,000 people took part in “cash for work” projects set up by Handicap International.

Three to five years needed to rise to the humanitarian challenge in Haiti

The association will gradually focus its actions on more long-term activities. The provision of liveable, hurricane- and earthquake-resistant temporary accommodation for isolated and vulnerable victims of the earthquake will constitute an important area of action.  We will continue to support and rehabilitate the injured while gradually focusing our attention on the most serious cases and people with disabilities. Next, Handicap International intends to develop its infrastructure rehabilitation and accessibility projects, disaster preparation and prevention activities, and diploma-based training for Haitian rehabilitation and orthopaedic-fitting staff. The underlying aim of these actions is to build the capacity of Haitians and to transfer the management of these projects to them over the long-term.