The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have signed an agreement to rebuild healthcare facilities in earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and the country's North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

The agreement, endorsed by Hassan Abdel Moneim Mostafa, IOM regional representative for West and Central Asia, and Dr France Donnay, representative of the UNFPA in Pakistan, will focus on construction of prefabricated units to provide easy-to-access healthcare services to communities living in remote and high- altitude areas, said the IOM and UNFPA Thursday in a press release.

According to latest available statistics, the devastation of health facilities in Pakistan remained overwhelming, with an estimated 60-80 percent of health facilities either partially or totally damaged in the earthquake.

"With this generous contribution by UNFPA, I am sure that the construction of healthcare facilities by IOM in disaster-stricken areas will help raise the quality of life for the affected people, whose lives were turned upside down by the earthquake," said IOM Regional Representative Mostafa.

The project will ensure building of a Tehsil Headquarters Hospital including staff residence in Batagram and five Rural Health Centers including staff residences in Oghi, Nawaz Abad and Kawai union councils of NWFP and Kohari and Danna union councils of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

The construction of five Basic Health Units in Talhata, Judbah and Kandar Shagai areas of NWFP and Chakoti and Kohala areas of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir as well as 150 Lady Health Houses across the earthquake-affected region will also be completed under the project.

"UNFPA is proud to partner with IOM, an agency recognized for its rapid response to the Oct. 2005 earthquake. This new partnership will be instrumental in bringing life-saving health services for mothers and newborns in the earthquake-affected areas, " said Donnay, the UNFPA representative in Pakistan.

This latest accord is a follow-up to a cooperation agreement signed in Geneva by UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid and IOM Director-General Brunson McKinley in July 2006, which focused on addressing current global challenges on migration issues, with special emphasis on migrant girls and women.

The Geneva agreement also enables the two organizations to carry out joint research and data collection on migration which will allow for the development of policies focusing on gender and youth issues, undocumented and irregular migrants, and victims of trafficking, as well as on reproductive health issues.

Source: Xinhua