Embassy of the United States

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Villagers are working to build shelters with shelter kids provided by USAID.

USAID Helps Build Shelters In Isolated Villages

Pajwala – To meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations following the devastating October 8 earthquake, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is helping those in hard-hit rural villages by providing shelter kits in higher elevations. Transitional shelter kits have been distributed to families high up the mountain in villages such as Langla that can only be reached by foot. The kits include corrugated galvanized iron sheeting, wire mesh, tool kits, insulation and bedrolls.

In Pajwala and Drall, USAID partner Catholic Relief Services is working with the 640 villagers to help construct transitional shelters. Families from the area were given transitional shelter kits and the villagers came together to help transport shelter kits up the mountain. To reach most of these villages requires several hours of walking off main roads up to elevations of over 5,000 feet.

In the villages, experts used a model to demonstrate how to build a shelter and local workers learned how to build additional shelters. Families may follow the model or build shelters as they wish. Transitional shelters will give people a place to live until their permanent home is rebuilt. Using shelter kits and materials salvaged from their old homes, villagers are building shelters at a rapid pace. Hammering is often the only sound heard in the mountains surrounding the villages.

The United States, through USAID, is providing more than $1.5 billion in development assistance to Pakistan over the next five years to improve education, health, governance and economic growth. In addition, the United States has pledged a total of $510 million in earthquake relief and reconstruction efforts to assist the people of Pakistan and to support Pakistani government relief and reconstruction efforts.