The 7.6-magnitude quake on October 8, 2005 ripped through northwest Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir, killing 73,000 people and completely destroying homes, schools, hospitals and businesses.

"The recovery in Pakistan will not be done this year, it will not be done next year, it will not be done five years from now," said Kathleen Cravero, the UN Development Programme's global director for Crisis Prevention and Recovery.

"After a catastrophe like this full recovery takes 10 years," she told a news conference.

Cravero, who visited the disaster zone earlier this week, said Pakistani authorities and global aid agencies had already done a lot to help survivors of the quake, which initially left more than three million people homeless.

But there were still major challenges ahead, including providing permanent shelter for people, reestablishing their livelihoods and rebuilding water, health and electricity systems in the affected area, she said.

Around 33,000 quake victims were still living in tents almost a year after the earthquake, UN Resident Coordinator Jan Vandemoortele said.