Habitat Distributing Winters Kits to 100 families Living in Shelters
More kits planned. Call for stoves and heaters
BALAKOT, 10th March 2006: The Habitat Resource Center in Balakot is distributing winter kits to families who are living in the Habitat for Humanity New Zealand-funded winter shelters.
Concerted efforts: Habitat staff distributing some of the winter kits (in blue bags) to survivors in Balakot
Strengthened: Survivors getting help from Habitat staff in covering their winter shelters with plastic sheets from the winter kits.
About 300 of the 500 winter kits have been distributed to these families by Habitat staff.
Provided by the International Organization for Migration (IMO), each winter kit includes:
Plastic sheet – As a cover for the open sides of the winter shelters as well as for the stuff which are left out in the open. For those living in tents instead of the winter shelters, the plastic sheet helps to stop the tent from leaking.
Steel bucket – For storing water and carrying water around. A key item as the people who had lost most things have resorted to using their remaining utensils to store and carry water.
Three blankets – Help survivors to keep warm in winter when the temperature at night often drops below freezing.
Rope – Made of thin nylon, it can be used for various purposes including tying up bundles wrapped in the plastic sheet.
The IOM is an inter-governmental organization which is working in Pakistan to provide tents, shelter materials, blankets and other logistics support to earthquake survivors.
The Habitat Resource Center is currently requesting for another 1,000 winter kits from the IMO to be distributed to the families in the shelters. More than one kit will be distributed to larger families.
The Habitat Resource Center has also tied up with Morning Star Development which will be delivering food packages to those who are living in Habitat winter shelters. Morning Star Development is a non-profit community and economic development organization that is supplying emergency food and blankets to more than 1,000 affected families in a village near Balakot,
Still, much remains to be done. Additional shelters are required because the survivors who are living in tents made of thin cloth have to contend with leaks when rain falls.
To further protect against the cold, Farhan Mall, Habitat for Humanity’s representative for Pakistan, says stoves and heaters can be given to the survivors so that they can keep themselves warm.