Frontiers is looking for delivery teams for Pakistan (US-Based)

The following from Bob Blincoe, US Director of Frontiers:

This is an incredible opportunity and a desperate need. They need men there, NOW, to get into the valleys where all the houses have been destroyed, and where until now no relief people have showed up. They have portable shelters to set up. This shelter is amazing, far superior to tents. The shelter will last through the winter. And the materials can be re-used to help build permanent homes in the spring.

Volunteers will work in teams of two to four, with an interpreter, for 2-6 weeks. They will travel in small trucks into the valleys to assemble the shelters. The clever design of the shelters means that they can be assembled in a short length of time. This rescue will change the lives of all who can come and help the survivors.

Please Respond by going to Frontiers website, www.frontiers.org, or email Jaime.wood@gracetogo.org or call 480 834-1500 or 800 462-8436 and they will send you an earthquake-response team application which they will expedite as quickly as possible. (Tentative date of departure from teh US into Pakistan has been set for November 28th)

Huge number of toilets urgently needed in quake-hit north

An acute lack of latrines in quake-affected areas of northern Pakistan, where millions of survivors live under dire sanitary conditions, will undermine health and could lead to serious disease outbreaks unless immediate action is taken, aid workers warn.

"We need to build about 200,000 toilets," Andrew MacLeod, head of the UN Emergency Coordination Centre, told IRIN in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Although to date UNICEF, its partners and other organisations have installed over 600 toilets in the Muzaffarabad area at various camps and health centres, that number remains a small fraction of what actually is needed. Time, however, is quickly running out, with reports of acute diarrhoea cases already appearing. On Wednesday, the United Nations reported serious outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea in Muzaffarabad and other devastated areas, underscoring the need to scale up efforts to provide safe water and sanitation in the self-settled camps. Read More ....


Source: AlertNet

URGENT: Volunteers Needed in Neelum Valley & Balakot

Volunteers who want to work in Neelum Valley should contact Amir Ahmed khan. There is a lot of rescue work to be done up there. This rescue effort is also being followed by a BBC team and will be aired regularly. Amir's cell phone no is 0333-2202999. Call him. He is really looking for a lot of volunteers with trekking experience. I also need volunteers in Balakot and Ghanool Valley who can work in Tent Villages in any and every capacity. Volunteers who can teach kids, female volunteers who can work with children and females from health to education. Camp managers, trash cleaners, helping hands who can work with the army etc. Get in touch with Wajahat Malik at 0333-5109492. Please pass the word around.

Source: Wajahat Malik via Lahore MetBlogs

Out with the Private, In with the NGO

I am officially now out of the private employment service. Because of the impact this quake has had on me, and the circumstances otherwise, I have decided to avail an opportunity to work with an NGO, heading a project for Relief and Rehabilitation in NWFP and AJK.

I gave in my resignation today and will be starting work with the NGO (RSPN) on Monday Nov 14.

I will now be officially doing whatever I have done and what I will continue to do so. I hope that I can do a good job helping people regain their lives, rekindle the sparkle of life in their eyes and give them a promise that our generation will not fail Kashmir. When we say we want what is best for Kashmir, we will mean it for the people, not the land.

I know there will be difficulties and obstacles, but without them you cannot appreciate the achievements and milestones during this time of need.

Relief Shelter Drive appeal

Via email from Iceknife

"… in Kashmir … people [will] freeze to death if they don't get assistance in weeks"
Jan Egeland, UN Humanitarian Chief
November 8, 2005

Today, November 8, 2005 marks the one-month anniversary of the earthquake that hit South Asia on October 8, 2005. You've given and given.

But:

In the next two weeks, heavy snowfall will start blocking supply routes of relief goods to the earthquake-affected regions. In the next two weeks, 350,000 people may still sleep under the open sky, awaiting any type of accommodation. In the next two weeks, 10,000 children will face death.

Despite the UN's flash appeal for $550 million, only $133 million worth of pledges and donations have been made – less than 25% of the actual requirement.

It's a race against time – but your timely donation as an individual can help provide shelter and save lives.

Donate to Relief Shelter Drive, a grassroots initiative undertaken by a small group of individuals across the United States, United Kingdom and Pakistan. RSD has partnered with the Association for the Development of Pakistan (ADP) in the United States and EHD Foundation in Pakistan to receive funds to provide desperately needed shelter to the earthquake survivors. We aim to reach areas where the government and major relief organization have still not reached.

You can now make your online contributions (tax-deductible for those in the US) at: http://www.developpakistan.org/Default.aspx?tabid=146

Please forward widely. If you can not donate yourself, please find friends, neighbors or colleagues who may be able to do so. Every act can help save lives.

Sincerely yours,
Sarah

Sarah Karim
Relief Shelter Drive Team Member
Karachi, Pakistan
http://tentdrive.blogspot.com

Second Kashmir border point open

India and Pakistan have opened a second crossing on the de facto border in the disputed region of Kashmir to help victims of last month's earthquake. The crossing at Kaman Post in Uri was opened to help movement of relief supplies to the affected areas in Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

Civilians are not being allowed to cross the Line of Control (LoC). The two countries have struck a deal to open five points along the heavily militarised LoC to help quake victims. The first crossing on the de facto border was opened on Monday. Read More ....


Source: BBC News

Pakistan quake toll rises to 86,000

The death toll from the Oct 8 earthquake in Pakistan has reached 86,000, while about 100,000 people have been injured and more than 3.5 million people affected, a draft report by international donor agencies said. The damage assessment report was discussed in Islamabad on Monday at a meeting presided over by Salman Shah, adviser to the prime minister on finance and revenue, said local press reports on Tuesday.

The joint assessment teams of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have also estimated that devastation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir was much more than in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). A total of 7,197 educational institutions were destroyed and about 3,837-km roads damaged in both areas.


Source: TOI

Aussie troops to help quake victims

Australian troops will begin heading to Pakistan on Thursday to provide medical aid to earthquake victims before the start of a harsh winter which could push the death toll beyond 86,000. The first phase of the three-month mission, announced by Prime Minister John Howard on Wednesday, will begin leaving Sydney airport on Thursday.Troops taking part in the humanitarian mission will not be armed during their time in the dangerous border region and will instead be protected by Pakistani soldiers.

Apart from the troops, Australia will also send four Blackhawk helicopters to provide medical help in remote regions. Defence Minister Robert Hill said the medical team would include a command element, aviation detachment, as well as logistics and communication personnel. The RAAF will make its initial airlift to a base at Dhanni, 20km north east of the Pakistani city of Muzzaffarabad. Senator Hill said a central medical facility would be established at Dhanni and supplemented by mobile medical teams.


Source: Australian Associated Press

Facts,pricing and more about CGI Sheets

• I wanted to share information about CGI sheets. Its better than tents and people can move to permanent homes rather than tent. Here are few facts about CGI Sheets. I got this information from City sadder road Rawalpindi after spent a day to buy 4 ton of CGI sheets.
  

• Best bargain is buy sheet by weight and not by dimension.
  

• Sheet should not be more than 10 feet length unless you have requirement.
  
• Maximum length is 16 feet. but expert believe 10 feet will have more strength.
  
• Width is 3.5 feet and after carogation its 3 feet.
  
• 27 gauge sheet is suitable and more you come down better it is; mean 26 is better than 27.
  
• 28 gauge and above are very thin sheet; expert in the sheet market says they don't last too long and less strength to hold.
  
• Also be very cautious about when they weight ready sheet, they put extra weight which is very hard to detect; use digital weighing machine and check machine with standard weight before putting sheets.
  
• Never give them full money until they load into your truck and then clear remain balance.

I bought four ton with family fund to denote to Rawalakot. Price I paid was Rs 59.50/Kilo ($1US) (very good deal). Trader in the market are asking 67 to 70 per kilo. Please call me if you have any questions at 0300 856 8418

Some facts about weights:

• 1 Ton = 1000 kilo grams.
• 4 Ton = 4000 kilo grams.
• 4000 * 59.50 = RS238,000
• Price for 1 Ton= Rs 59500 or $1000 USD
• Price for 4 Ton = Rs 238,000 or $4000 dollars
  

Imran Hashmi

+92300856-8418

Canada 1-416 628 9101

http://www.hashmi.ca/

SMS Report #3: The State of Medical Care for Victims

The following SMS report came in from the SMS Quake team (Ejaz ASI via Imran Hashmi):

The patients and survivors of panjgran, sir batna got medical treatment after 18 days. Its just near LOC and we had to walk uphill for 8 hours from shaheed gali, A jk. You would find mobilink signals only at sirikot.

Surgeons & Volunteers Needed for Field Hospitals

Operation Heartbeat:
There is a field hospital up and running in Garhi Dupatta which is utilizing rotating medical and surgical teams. They are in dire need of physicians. These efforts are being coordinated by Dr. Farzad Najam, a cardiac surgeon at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, DC. Please contact Dr. Najam at 202-775-8600 or farzadnajam(at)pol.net if you are able to assist by volunteering or with financial donations.

Emergency Relief Hospital in Mansehra:
Dr. Anwaar Khan is a US trained and board certified gastroenterologist who is the Chairman and Dean of the Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute in Lahore, Pakistan, and established the Emergency Relief Hospital in Mansehra, Pakistan, both of which are at the center of the medical relief efforts following the recent earthquake. He stresses the ongoing needs for medical and surgical volunteers for the late presenting patients with infected fractures and other wounds, with specific needs for Neurosurgery (particularly spinal cord injuries), Orthopedic, General, Plastic and Reconstructive surgeons, among other volunteers. Volunteers would most likely be operating out of the city of Islamabad. Some travel to forward areas like Muzafarabad where an American team has set up a small hospital may be possible.

Interested volunteers should contact Dr. Khan directly (cell phone 011 92 300 940 5648 home phone 011-92-42-531-1408, hospital phone 011-92-923-0718 or 011-92-923-0727, email anwaark(at)yahoo.com) for further information. Expedited arrangements may be possible through the Pakistani Minister of Health.


Source: Hope Banda Aceh

Friends of Pakistan Looking for Canvas Wall Tents

This just in via email from Carol Cespedes over at Friends of Pakistan in Austin, Texas (If you can help out or know someone who can, please email Friends of Pakistan, leave a comment or mail us.):

A group of former U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Pakistan in the 1960's have formed a new association called Friends of Pakistan to raise funds and supplies for earthquake relief. We have all donated to international relief agencies but we want to do more. We understand the shortage of tents and have made arrangements with PIA to ship tents as we are able to collect them. We have access to expedition style tents through REI, but these are generally nylon with a maximum sleeping capacity of 4 and we have doubts about the appropriateness and safety (especially since these do not permit cooking). Now we are searching for a source of canvas wall tents priced under $500. If anyone knows of such a source we will raise funds to buy them. We are also sending new blankets.

Help Needed - Pakistan - Batungi

This just in via email from Shakeel Ahmed (If anyone has more concrete information, please leave a comment or mail us.)

Batungi

This area is some where near "syed pur" and high up on the mountains. I have read in BBC news urdu service about this area.

Some volunteers had been there and about 300 group of people are up there. Many of them are injured, without food, no camp at all. 2 children & a woman got tetanus already. Volunteers are asking for help within 24 hours otherwise people could be start dying. I was trying to look for a email of ptv life line but could not. Pls. do something at the earliest. GOD BLESS YOU & Pakistan.

Shakeel Ahmed
Public Relation Officer
Mott MacDonald Ltd.
Abu Dhabi