Most people believe it was an act of God. Others don’t.

But the fact of the matter is that the Oct. 08 Earthquake in Pakistan fully affected the lives of millions. The statistics are staggering. The final death toll stands at 73,388 dead and 69,412 injured (official figures). With winter raging more could still die. The Earthquake opened up a fault line stretching from remote Alai village in the far North to Bagh in the South. Tens of thousands of square kilometres were affected. That means tens of thousands of side valleys, precipitous cliffs and unreachable dwellings.

Balakot before and after the Earthquake (2004-2005)

After three and a half months hundreds of thousands are still living in camps (or tent ‘cities’), sprawling across every concievable piece of flat ground. If they are in the camp it means the people are mostly poor and didn’t have relatives who could accomodate them elsewhere. Many are from remote villages high in the mountains. Due to the Islamic concept of Purda, many villages are simply one family (or tribe) where all know each other and outsiders aren’t welcome. This has also provided the biggest hurdle to relief efforts as many dwellings are simply unreachable by road and often by air.

Life in the camps is pretty much as you can imagine. You’re in a tent and it’s winter outside, You’re poor and it’s bloody freezing! The most common dangers are from flooding and fire. Even if you are lucky to find high ground, the tents are mostly flammable. Many lives have been lost simply because people want to stay warm! The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported 13,491 cases of Acute Respiratory Infections. Fortunately only 8 deaths have occured.

The organisations running the camps need a sharp salute. Two of the better ones are Sungi and SRSP. Both organisations work to develop the poorest & farthest communities across North Pakistan. When they find a community who is willing to partner with the them, they establish small loans and development projects that allow the community to have more of an impact on thier own lives. After a project has begun, one member of the community (an ‘activist’) remains in the village to ensure its completion. It was these ‘activisits’ who communicated to the world the critical relief that was needed so soon after the Earthquake hit

Woman looks on as people sift through heaped aid piled by the roadside.

FINAL REQUEST FOR AID

Relief Camps

For every camp, it’s a daily struggle. Shelters cannot be rebuilt because of the January weather and tents collaspe under the weight of the snow. The immediate need now is to keep people alive until spring when the snows eventually melt. All camps need a continuous supply of food (rice, flour, lentils, tea & sugar), tents, warms clothing/blankets, water purifiers and plastic sheets amongst others. I have included below the several websites of organisations that are working in the field NOW in order to keep people alive. Please help and donate.

Schools

Four thousand Five Hundred schools were wiped off the map, 17,000 students killed. Schools are a centrepiece of every community and many have been re-established in tents. That means children sitting and learning on the cold hard ground outside in winter. Every school needs rebuilding sooner rather than later. If you would like to help, you could contact a) READ foundation who lost hundreds of schools on Oct. 08th and are currently replacing tent schools with Earthquake proof buildings; b)Rural Support Program Network (RSPN) who is helping the Governement to build another 140 new schools asap.

Stephen McCutcheon

This entry was posted on Friday, January 20th, 2006 at 7:18 pm and is filed under Earthquake, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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