USAID to provide adequate shelter to quake survivors
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Sunday announced the arrival of additional plastic sheeting sufficient to winterize the shelters of an additional 17,500 families affected by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that devastated the Kashmir and North West Frontier Provinces on October 8.
As the onset of winter increases the hardships faced by many quake survivors, these supplies become more crucial, said apress release issued here. To date, USAID has provided more than $ 60.1 million in humanitarian assistance and food aid to earthquake-affected communities through non-governmental organizations and the United Nations.
USAID has already delivered a total of 45,000 blankets, 1,570 winterized tents, and 6,150 rolls of plastic sheeting thathelped winterized shelters for 215,250 people. It is also providing shelter kits to assist in rebuilding efforts, which will help more than 528,000 people in need.
In addition, the U.S. military has brought more than 5,000 tents, 290,000 blankets and 5,200 tarps. Team work in this effort will continue to be essential. USAID has funded eight NGO partners to provide shelter assistance for a targeted 75,439 households.
A public-private initiative based on a partnership between Alaska Structures, the Human Development Foundation of Pakistan, Human Development Foundation of North America, and USAID, brought 117 family-unit, extreme weather tent structures valued at $ 4.2 million to the remote village of Puthian.