On October 8, a massive earthquake devastated parts of northern Pakistan, leaving over 70,000 dead, 70,000 injured and more than 3 million without homes. Refugees International will travel to northern Pakistan to assess relief efforts a month after the initial Government of Pakistan and international response was launched. With winter rapidly approaching, which will leave large areas inaccessible to humanitarian actors, the speedy delivery of relief and shelter items is critical in order to prevent further loss of life.

In order to respond to this crisis, the UN has requested around $550 million. Of the money requested, roughly 20 percent has been committed. The lack of resources raises obvious concerns about the ability of the Government and humanitarian agencies to mount an effective and timely response.

In the past month, humanitarian actors have made some progress. Over 370,000 tents have been distributed, mobile health clinics are traveling throughout the region, and the Government of Pakistan has organized 18 camps. But there are critical unmet needs. Agencies are expecting additional numbers of people to move to lower elevations as winter approaches, and it is not clear if they have the capacity or resources to assist them. Women are often excluded from relief deliveries and are unable to access services. Due to insufficient resources, the World Food Program is not able to provide full rations of emergency food assistance to cover needs during the winter.

Refugees International will meet with people living in northern Pakistan, Government officials, UN officials and NGOs to assess relief efforts in order to advocate for a more effective response.