Situation Overview
The number of houses reported damaged by the earthquake is increasing considerably as more information becomes available on difficult to access areas. The Government estimates that over 59,000 houses have been damaged, of which 85 per cent are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 14 per cent are in FATA. The districts of Chitral, Shangla, Swat, and Upper and Lower Dir are the worst affected, and account for nearly 70 per cent of the houses damaged across the country.
Chitral district has been hit the hardest, with over 15,900 houses damaged (23 per cent of the national total), leaving thousands of families without shelter. The earthquake has affected some communities that were still recovering from devastating flash floods, which swept through the district less than four months ago. Temperatures in Chitral are already below freezing at night and are expected to fall as low as – 12C later this week; rain and snowfall are also predicted over the next three days. The extreme weather places the lives of those who are living in the open or temporary shelters at risk.
The main quake has been followed by 87 aftershocks, further damaging already weakened structures. The earthquake, aftershocks and recent rainfall have led to landslides, which have restricted access to some areas, especially for large vehicles carrying relief supplies. The smaller vehicles being used are unsuited to the transport of large numbers of bulky tents, reducing the amount of tents reaching the affected population.
People in some areas also lost their livestock—which was being kept indoors to protect them from the cold. The Government reported that 495 school have been damaged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 49 per cent of which are located in Upper Dir district. Ten schools were in the Gilgit Baltistan region were also damaged.
