TSF teams have so far provided free calls to 1268 affected families. A
quarter of these calls have been international calls. In four days,
from August 20th to the 24th, TSF teams have visited more than 50
locations in Charsadda, Nowshera and Peshawar districts of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Province.
Along with its implementing partner, Pakistani NGO Youth Resource
Centre (YRC), TSF began operations on 20 August 2010. For many people,
the call provided by TSF was the first call since the outbreak of the
disaster. Many victims had either lost their mobile phone or were
situated in places with no electricity to recharge their phones. At
other places, they did not have the money to purchase credit. Although
phones calls are relatively cheap in Pakistan, families prefer to use
the little money they have to purchase food and other essentials,
rather than making phone calls.
TSF delegate for the Asia and the Pacific, Oisin Walton, who is based
at the TSF’s office at AIT, has been leading the operations in
Pakistan. Volunteers are also providing support to the Office of
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations Disaster
Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) and other UN agencies in the
inter-agency office in Multan in the province of Punjab. This
assignment is scheduled until staff from the Emergency
Telecommunications Cluster and other OCHA partners take over.
