8 October 2008

Following the Pakistan earthquake in 2005, the British Red Cross embarked on a programme to provide water facilities to those affected. Three years on, not a single pipe has been laid in the ground, so why is it taking so long?

The earthquake struck on 8 October 2005 and was the biggest ever in Pakistan. More than 73,000 people were killed and another 3.5 million left homeless just before winter.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement responded with a massive relief effort, which the British Red Cross supported with delegates and £18 million of emergency aid. The scale of the disaster was so huge that emergency relief distributions continued for two years.

Recovery programme

In July 2007, the British Red Cross started a recovery programme in the remote Kohistan district, to provide water for 15,000 people. But working out how to implement the programme took time, because it was vital first to get the local community on board.

The security situation in Pakistan is volatile and some humanitarian agencies, including the UN, have been attacked. This meant that the British Red Cross operation had to proceed cautiously. Delegates were based in Islamabad, eight hours drive from the recovery programme in the mountainous Kohistan district. Every time there was a major security incident, the delegates were unable to travel. Since January 2008, they have been based in Kohistan and the majority of programme staff are local people.

Fiona McSheehy, operations manager, said: "We've tried to build relationships with community-based organisations so people will tell us if we are doing anything wrong before taking violent action against us. We don't have armed guards. Our reputation, mandate and keeping people informed about our work are key to our security."

Life-changing water

So far, training in health, hygiene, first aid, nutrition and water storage has raised awareness on how to be a safer and healthier community. By the end of August 2009, the British Red Cross will complete drinking water projects in six villages, irrigation systems in three villages and schemes in two villages to help people deal with seasonal flooding.

Justin Dell, recovery officer supporting the programme, said: "We were so concerned with learning lessons from the tsunami – making sure we took our time to assess the needs before rushing in – that maybe we didn't move as fast as we could have. But because we did the groundwork, we're now able to help the most vulnerable in a place where no other agency is working."

Designs for the water projects have been finalised and work starts any day. It's been an expensive operation and delays are costly which can be difficult to swallow. But as a result of the Red Cross' sensitive approach it is able to provide life-changing water to thousands of people.

More about recovery in Pakistan

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]