The Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims (SPAPEV) has completed construction of over 2700 pre-fabricated houses in Balakot area of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) to accommodate the displaced families of October 2005 earthquake, SPAPEV Deputy Regional Director Dr. Khalid M. Othmani said. The SPAPEV is actively engaged in the reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in the earthquake affected areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP, Othmani told the reporters. He said that the work on remaining houses is being done rapidly, which would be completed very soon. The SPAPEV signed a contract of $16.7 million under which 4000 houses are to be built for displaced families of Balakot. Othmani said a similar contract of housing was also signed just a month earlier. According to the contract of $5.1 million, some 1000 pre-fabricated houses would be constructed in Bagh area of Azad Kashmir especially for victims of the earthquake. He said that the project would soon be started and the keys of the complete houses would be handed over to the families of Bagh. Giving details of the relief, and rehabilitation work since the SPAPEV started its operation in quake hit areas of Pakistan, he said, so far it has provided 200,000 blankets, 150,000 quilts, 12500 winterized tents, 4.0 million Saudi Riyals medicine, stoves, 100,000 food packets containing sugar, pulses, Ghee, Oil, rice, flour bags and thousands of polypropylene sheets for the affected people. The SPAPEV has also handed over a huge quantity of relief aid worth millions of riyals to different organizations including International Islamic Relief Organization, Al-Hubaib Foundation, Al-Khidmat Foundation, Read Foundation, ERRA, National Volunteer Movement, Azad Kashmir and NWFP governments for onward distribution. Talking about the future projects, Othmani said the SPAPEV is planning to construct schools in the earthquake-affected areas of October 8 besides mosques in different quake hit areas.
