The people and the Government of Japan responded with great sorrow about the colossal loss of life and damage caused by the devastating earthquake that struck Pakistan on October 8th 2005. Since then Japan has been making efforts for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation and reconstruction activities that are aimed at helping the victims. The Government of Japan was the first to abate the abysmal condition of the people affected by the earthquake. The Government of Japan provided emergency grant assistance to Pakistan along with a yen –loan assistance. Together with other assistances, the Japanese assistance related to the earthquake amounts to approximately more than US $ 200 million.
Following are the consolidated facts of Japanese contribution so far. Japan intends to continue to provide as much assistance as possible to support the people and Government of Pakistan during this difficult phase.
9th October 2005
A 49-member Japanese rescue team arrived and engaged in search-and-rescue operations in Batagram.
10th October 2005
42-members from two Japanese medical teams arrived at Pakistan. They established a medical relief camp in Batagram and also reached out to the needy in the adjacent Allai tehsil of the NWFP. The team provided medical services to 2,272 injured and sick survivors of the earthquake.
14th October 2005
Japan initiated the dispatch of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF). The SDF personnel, comprising of a total of 150 members arrived in multiple batches to operate 6 UH-1 helicopters in Pakistan. These personnel helped transport relief goods to the most affected areas in Batagram.
On 11th October, assistance Relief Goods worth of US$ 238,000 reached Pakistan which included blankets, electric generators, water filters, sleeping mats, handy and large water tanks and plastic sheets.
On 11th October, the Government of Japan decided to extend a grant assistance amounting to US$ 20 million for the affected people.
Japan provided a yen loan amounting to US$100 million to meet the financial needs for emergency reconstruction. The Notes were signed and exchanged on the 5thof January 2006 in Islamabad. US$100 million were disbursed at the end of February 2006. The Government of Pakistan is utilizing the Counterpart Fund of Yen Loan to implement the necessary projects for the earthquake victims.
4 billion yen (approx. US$ 35 million) bilateral Non-Project Grant Assistance (NPGA) to Pakistan was pledged for the reconstruction of the health and educational facilities and for necessary materials to the Batagram District in NWFP, under this NPGA over 100 schools about 20 medical facilities and few bridges is being reconstructed.
US$ 20 million were disbursed to the United Nations, ICRC & IFRC as Emergency Humanitarian Assistance in the following manner.
US$ 20 million to be allocated to:
UNDP: US$ 5 million, WFP: US$ 2.45 million,
UNICEF: US$ 2 million,
UNFPA: US$ 1.3 million, UNESCO: US$ 1.3 million,
UN-HABITAT: US$ 0.15 million, ICRC: US$ 5 million,
IFRC: US$ 2.8 million.
Japan also decided to earmark US$5 million each from the Japanese Trust Funds already established in both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (summing up to US$10 million altogether) in response to their separate appeals for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Japan formulated the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Plan for MuzaffarabadCity and completed the construction of SathiBaghGovernmentGirlsHigh School as an urgent rehabilitation project.
Four damaged bridges and one culvert on JhelumValley road (Muzaffarabad-Chakoti) are being reconstructed in close cooperation with the National Highway Authority (NHA).
The purpose of the project is to enhance the technical capacities of the Government of NWFP and the Government of AJK which is required for the designing of seismic-resistant and barrier-free primary health care facilities (BHUs).
The health and mental care of the victims were taken care of by two groups of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) of the victims in ATTOK Camp and in National Institute of Handicapped in Islamabad.
The tentative DHQHospital (prefabricated Operation Theater) and 5 primary schools are constructed in the Batagram District in NWFP. The construction works for other health and educational facilities including 100 primary schools, the DHQ Hospital, 1 Regional Health Center, 1 City Hospital and 13 Basic Health Units have started from October 2006 in the Batagram District in NWFP.
Japan has formulated the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Master Plan and the action plan for MuzaffarabadCity and Japan has submitted the final report to ERRA and AJK Government. Japan explained the master plan to the donor community as well as ERRA and AJK Government. Japan has completed the construction work for SathiBaghGovernmentGirlsHigh School as the first earthquake-resistant permanent structure in MuzaffarabadCity.
The damaged bridges are in the process of reconstruction.
Japan has already completed the construction work of the prototype of BHUs in NWFP and AJK. During this process, Japanese engineers transferred their designing skills to their Pakistani counterparts.
For utilization of the Counterpart Fund of the Yen Loan, a MOU was signed between JBIC and the Government of Pakistan on 3rd of July 2006. This fund will be used for the necessary projects in order to help the earthquake victims. Both parties agreed to hold joint review meetings semi-annually between themselves so as to review the progress and decide on the allocation of the Counterpart Fund for the next period.