To protect school children from natural disasters and other insecurities, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) convened government education departments, academia, district disaster management authorities and the media in Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab.

Mr. Hafiz Noorullah, Education Development Officer, Chitral, said on a radio talk show:

“A lack of awareness and knowledge makes the disaster happen. So there is a need to have more and more information sharing through different media platforms and involvement of young people in interactive discussions to sensitize them on the topics of safety and security.”

Mr. Nawab Ali Khan, Chief Executive Officer, AKAH Pakistan said:

“In the 2005 earthquake, Pakistan lost around 20,000 children due to vulnerable structures and lack of awareness and preparedness, which cannot be repeated. We need our schools to be resilient and better prepared
for similar situations. We are thankful to our public and private-sector partners for joining hands with us to achieve this objective.”

For the last 20 years, AKAH has been designing and implementing programmes on Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation in some of Pakistan’s most vulnerable areas. More than 1,000 schools in disaster-prone areas have benefitted from the development of hazard and risk maps, school safety plans, provision of school safety kits, and awareness raising and capacity building of individuals.

School-level awareness raising sessions have been part of the work of the Aga Khan Agency since the Islamabad Conference on School Safety held in 2008. AKAH’s School Safety Programme will contribute towards the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s one million safe schools and hospitals global campaign, and contribute towards the achievement of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and the practical implementation of the Pakistan School Safety Framework.

For further information, please contact:
[email protected]

NOTES:
The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), which merges the capabilities of Focus Humanitarian Assistance, the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, and the Aga Khan Development Network’s Disaster Risk Management Initiative focuses on preparing for both sudden and slow-onset disasters. AKAH works to ensure that people live in physical settings that are as safe as possible from the effects of natural disasters; that residents who do live in high- risk areas are able to cope with disasters in terms of preparedness and response; and that these settings provide access to social and financial services that lead to greater opportunity and a
better quality of life. Initially, priority areas of AKAH will include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and India.

Read more about the agency at: http://www.akdn.org/our-agencies/aga-khan-agency-habitat

Nearly 400 passengers traveling between Gilgit and Rawalpindi have been stranded in Kohistan following a landslide that blocked Karakoram Highway (KKH). A landslide has blocked currently the only land access route between Gilgit and Rawalpindi near Sumar Nulla in Kohistan’s Dasu region. Passengers traveling on the route have been stranded for nearly 12 hours now.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have made arrangements for the safety and security of the passengers in the harsh cold weather. Meanwhile, Kohistan district administration has asked for a bulldozer and other necessary machinery to open the route for traffic.

The district administration has said that the landslide area will be cleared for traffic before Tuesday evening so that the passengers on both sides could proceed to their destinations.

The stranded passengers include women and children as well. Luckily, there are small hotels and shops nearby that will offer some relief of basic necessities in the hard times.

The northern region of Pakistan is facing an on-going spell of heavy snowfall. Karakoram Highway is prone to landslides during rainfall and snowfall. Lack of even the most basic facilities put passengers in a very difficult position in such times.

The two other routes that connect Gilgit to Rawalpindi, i.e. Shandur Pass and Babusar Pass, remain closed during winters due to heavy snowfall.