Page 23 - DIVA_No.23_2006

US Chinooks and IOM trucks form a logistics chain to deliver relief to remote highland valleys. Chaklala Airbase, Islamabad.
(Photo: Warrick Page / (0 IOM, 2005)
other items essential for sal- Shelter Cluster to contribute But with the weather in the
vaging the remains of houses materials and staff to the pro- mountains expected to deterio-
and building "a warm room" for gramme. Three engineering bat- rate daily, nobody is under any
each family to survive the win- talions of the Pakistan army illusion that the logistical chal-
ter. assigned to earthquake relief lenge facing IOM and other
"We start by finding the most will provide support to Winter agencies will become progres-
vulner-able people in the village Race and UNHCR has already sively worse through November
and building them a shelter. That made a significant contribution and into December. Rain and
gets everyone's attention and of material. snow will reduce the number of
then we get them working on helicopter sorties and may bring
shelters for everyone. This is "Winter Race is a window of down more landslides, blocking
about giving them the materials opportunity that offers people in more roads.
and the skills, but mostly about valleys above 5,000 ft. an
motivating them to help them- improvised alternative that may The other major challenge, simi-
selves," says IOM team member, be preferable to tents in deep lar to other organizations, is the
Brett Williams. snow. We know that many peo- lack of funds needed to keep
ple don't want to come down to working on getting help to those
TOM, which has ordered 10,000 camps at lower altitudes and we who, without it, will probably
of the kits, the last of which is think that this could be the solu- not survive the Himalayan win-
scheduled for delivery on 25 tion to minimizing displacement ter.
November, has asked partner and all the problems associated
agencies in the Emergency with it," says Lennon.
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