UNITED NATIONS, March 8 (UPI) -- Emergency aid is coming to an end in Pakistan, five months after a devastating 7.6 quake rocked the country, says the United Nations.
The United Nations will soon launch "The Action Plan from Relief to Recovery," a year-long recovery program that will start in April and aim to rebuild the country, said the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Wednesday.
The program will help coordinate the return of internally displaced people, restore livelihoods and provide psycho-social support and transitional housing to survivors of the massive quake, said OCHA.
Disease and hunger were rampant following the Oct. 8 quake that killed more than 73,000 people, injured nearly 70,000 and left 3 million homeless in northern Pakistan. It was initially feared a second-wave of deaths would occur but that has not happened.
"There has been no second wave of deaths, no massive population movement down the mountains, no severe malnutrition, and no outbreak of epidemics," said U.N. Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick.
Since the quake, many people have endured the sub-zero Himalayan winter in makeshift camps. U.N. agencies have assisted governmental and civilian authorities to provide food, tents and blankets and opened 900 schools serving 100,000 students since October.
There remains the risk of landslides as snow begins to melt in the coming weeks, and monsoon season is a few months away, which could make road conditions treacherous, said McGoldrick.
For now, U.N. agencies are focused on keeping relief operations going until the end of March, improving sanitation and preparing for the arrival of internally displaced people, who will be offered an incentive package to return.
"Until now, everything has been focused on relief, relief, relief, and on saving lives. But now, people, including the non-governmental organizations, the civilian authorities, the military, and the U.N. colleagues are all starting to raise questions about how to make the transition from relief to recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction," said Jan Vandemoortele, U.N. resident humanitarian coordinator in January.
