USAID helps earthquake-affected families build stronger shelters and improve sanitation

Like thousands of other households in the Mansehra District, this man from Paras village in the Kaghan Valley received $273 worth of materials, tools and labor costs to build his own winter shelter and sanitation facilities. Unlike heavy mud huts, the new shelters would not collapse in an earthquake, said Manzoor Husain, a resident of Daryal village in Siran Valley.

"We will not make the same mistakes as before."

-- Sultan-ur-Arifeen, a Daryal resident who supervised the construction of 32 shelters in his village, on the improved safety of the new wood and tin structures.

Most families in the Mansehra District in northern Pakistan lost their homes and sanitation systems when a 7.6 earthquake struck Oct. 8. With winter approaching, USAID responded quickly to the need for temporary shelter and the danger of the spread of disease. Under USAID-funded programs, families who lost their houses in the quake and intended to spend winter in their village agreed to salvage wood from their destroyed homes and to complete specific parts of their new shelters before receiving the next round of building supplies. Supplies included woodworking tools like hammers, saws and nails, plastic sheets and corrugated iron, and household items like a stove and bedding.

"People were hammering away until 10 at night," said Sultan-ur-Arifeen, who helped supervise the construction of 32 shelters in his 900-person village, Daryal, in Siran Valley. Everyone pitched in, he said. In Daryal, women collected flat stones and sculpted a low mud base for the wooden shelter frame while men did the woodwork. "This is the first time we've helped construct a home," said Sabiha Khanum, a Daryal woman. "We did it because we wanted to help." As a result of the program, several families who had moved to tent camps returned to their homes. USAID partner Mercy Corps provided building materials to more than 6,200 households in the Siran and Konch Valleys and paid families 4,200 rupees ($70) each for their labor. Meanwhile, USAID partner ACTED provided shelter supplies and household items to 3,000 families in the Kaghan Valley and paid them 800 rupees ($13) each to construct their own sanita-tion facilities.

With USAID help, more than 9,000 families in the district have built earthquake-resistant shelters with wooden walls and tin roofs rather than traditional stone and mud, and have constructed sanitation facilities nearby. This USAID shelter program guides families to build structures resistant to future jolts, provides them with a warm room in which to pass the winter and ensures their safety while they gather the resources to rebuild their permanent homes. Sanitation facilities close to shelters improve hygiene and accessibility to safe drinking water. At the same time, the cash families earn in constructing their own structures enables them to buy goods they need and jumpstarts the local economy.