Within hours of the 8 October earthquake in Pakistan, UN-HABITAT dispatched staff to take immediate stock of how the UN system would respond. Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, pledged in a letter to Pakistan’s President, General Pervez Musharraf, to provide immediate emergency shelter needs, as well as medium and longer term recovery and reconstruction.

The project aims to help national and local governments and the international community boost delivery of emergency shelter, and ensure sustainable post-reconstruction and recovery follow-up and planning throughout the earthquake zone. The project will monitor the progress in the shelter sector, identify gaps, help meet the shortfalls, and communicate the strategy through the UN system.