The long shadows of winter are falling on the Himalayan mountains. The shortest day of the year has dawned and temperatures in northern Pakistan have plummeted. During daytime, at altitudes of 5,000 feet and above, the temperature often stays below the freezing point. And at night, temperatures that plunge to minus 15 Celsius are nothing new to children and their families living in this mountainous region. And this is just the beginning. The weather forecast says snow will soon hit all of the earthquake-ravaged areas in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The winter may last beyond the end of March in villages in the higher altitudes. How to survive the bitter chill has been a major concern for everyone living and working here. In the aftermath of the earthquake, there are an estimated 235,000 families of about seven people each now living in tents. According to a rapid assessment done by the UN, one tenth of these tents are too thin to withstand the winter. The report also says some 75 per cent of the households require additional protection to get through the winter. Items like blankets, quilts, plastic sheeting, and tarpaulins are urgently needed. UNICEF has procured 215,000 blankets and quilts to prepare children and families for the winter. In addition, the Government of France has donated 13,000 quilts through the French National Committee for UNICEF, and another 120,000 are on the way from manufacturer Ikea. But the need is huge beyond these amounts, another 1 million blankets or half a million quilts are still needed. UNICEF has also distributed 53,100 sets of winter clothing to children, which consist items like warm jackets and winter boots. "Again, we need masses more - we can use a further 800,000 kits of these essential items of warm clothing for children," said UNICEF Emergency Coordinator Dr. Agostino Paganini. Although there has been no major epidemic, many children are already suffering from acute respiratory infections in the quake-affected areas. "The inclusion of the antibiotic cotrimoxazole in syrup form in the health kits with which UNICEF is equipping community health workers will help to treat these infections, but it's better by far if parents can keep children warm and so avoid them getting sick," Dr. Paganini was quoted as saying in a statement carried yesterday by UNICEF on its website.
