South Asia Quake Help

Impak Summer Program

2006-02-27T04:29:00.000-08:00

(image courtesy of www.impak.com)

What if you had the opportunity to help the 3.5 million people affected by the earthquake that hit Pakistan on October 8, 2005 to rebuild their lives?

Impak is looking for dynamic, initiative-driven individuals to take on the challenge. Impak's QRSP offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn and make a difference, while living Impak's vision of building bridges and affecting positive change through meaningful work opportunities.

. . .

Impak Announces "Quake Relief Summer Program (QRSP)"

Following a successful pilot program, Impak has reorganized and is making preparations for another summer service corps experience in Pakistan. This year, Impak is focused on supporting reconstruction efforts in Northern Pakistan following the earthquake that devastated the region in October 2005. The 2006 program, dubbed the "Quake Relief Summer Program" (QRSP), places volunteers with established organizations working with people and on projects that serve to restore normality to the region. Volunteers work and live with the organization while Impak supplements the experience with orientation and group travel opportunities.

The QRSP represents a special focus for Impak in 2006; Impak recognizes the incredible circumstances of the earthquake and has made necessary changes from its 2005 program to fulfill Impak's obligation in providing support to this region. Details about the QRSP, including applications and program dates, will be available soon on our website at http://www.impak.org/ ; join our mailing list and stay tuned for updates.

About us:

Impak is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to bring positive change by connecting individuals abroad to Pakistan through meaningful work and volunteer opportunities.

Pakistan exhibits a potential illustrated in the ambitions of an emerging population seeking to bring positive change in the country. Impak believes that it can help strengthen this effort by building bridges with communities abroad; its underlying objective is connecting Pakistan's emerging civil society with individuals overseas who are motivated to make an impact.

Beyond serving as a facilitator, Impak seeks to bridge cultural gaps, promote understanding and give individuals an opportunity to experience first-hand the real potential of Pakistan. Individuals participate in an intellectual and cultural exchange that is the first step on the path towards progress and understanding.

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.impak.org/

Introduction to RSPN and RSPs

2006-01-20T01:43:00.000-08:00

I was requested to provide information on my organization and the work we are doing in the earthquake affected areas. I hoep the summary below suffices. Feel free to contact me for any other information. This is related to the CGI Appeal.

RSP Background

The Rural Support Programmes Network (www.RSPN.org) is a network of ten non-governmental rural development agencies in Pakistan. The RSPs operate in all four provinces, Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The RSPs have mobilised over a million women and men, who have themselves formed Community Organisations (COs) to manage their own development. RSP benefits through multi-sector programmes are to over five million people.

The National Rural Support Programme (www.NRSP.org.pk) and the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (www.RSPSARHAD.com) had long-term development programmes in seven of the eight worst-hit districts prior to the earthquake. Their programmes covered an estimated 89,000 families (over 500,000 people).

All RSP activities, including those in disaster areas, work from the foundation of ‘social mobilisation’. This begins with community members defining their own needs and priorities, and extends to their involvement in every stage of a project. In the present scenario, Social Organisers and RSP management work as an interface between mobilised communities, local governments, the army, and national and international agencies and NGOs in activities related to advocacy (for example, in receiving goods and services to which people are entitled) on behalf of the economically-marginal and vulnerable.

NRSP responded to the emergency by sending medical aid (doctors, paramedics and medicines), food, water and emergency shelter to its programme area in AJK in the days immediately following the quake. NRSP’s relief efforts have been driven by the desire of most people to stay close to their families and communities, homes and assets. As the scale of the devastation became clear, a procurement and distribution system was established, with goods flowing from a central warehouse close to Islamabad, through a Base Camp in each District (3 in all), and 20 Distribution Points close to the worst-affected villages.

NRSP has extended existing partnerships (e.g., with UNDP, the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Programme, UNICEF, the ILO, WFP) and worked with new partners (the UK-based ‘Shelter Box’ and the Turkish ‘Support to Life, WFP, for example), to deliver relief goods.

In order to help people earn a living and to restore some degree of normalcy, NRSP has set up a training centre in Bagh. Men are learning to be carpenters, masons and women are learning tailoring skills. New training courses will be added as needs emerge.

SRSP is in a position to facilitate national and international relief agencies with little knowledge about the area. Most significantly Tareen Farms, Care International, World Vision, Mercy Corps, Relief International, Hidaya Foundation and a team of doctors from Singapore utilized the SRSP outreach during the relief operation. SRSP took the lead in establishing and managing 90 tent villages, each with 15-20 families, in Mansehra, Battagram and Abbottabad.

Residents of the tent villages are given temporary shelter, bedding and clothing, food, medical care, water and sanitation through the assistance of different donors. Through the DFID-funded Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Project, SRSP now intends to cover 100 water supply and 100 sanitation schemes in the affected areas, as well as sanitation facilities in camps.

SRSP has also prepared a “permanent winter shelter” model, which will act as a substitute for damaged houses. 40 of these have been erected in the small villages in Andrasi of Mansehra. A detailed writeup may be requested from Zohare at RSPN.

Both RSPs have established cash for work projects.

SHAKETHEQUAKE

2006-01-12T23:24:00.000-08:00

World Wide Help: Remembrance Week - 26th December, 2005 - 1st January, 2006

Emergency Appeal

2006-01-12T23:19:00.000-08:00

EMERGENCY APPEAL FOR CGI DONATION

- PLEASE NOTE CHANGES IN ORANGE -
This is an emergency appeal for donations towards the purchase of Corrugated Galvanized Iron Sheets, commonly known as CGI sheets. These are metal sheets used as roofs in the earthquake affected areas.

If you have seen any photographs of the affected areas, you will notice that the roofs are generally made of a curvy shaped tin top, that is a CGI sheet. It usually takes about 8-10 to make a complete roof, housing about 7-10 people.

The cost of one CGI sheet is approximately $16-18 dollars per sheet (970-1100)

The specifications are:

Each sheet will be 10 ft X 34 inches
24 gauge
.55 MM thickness

The cost in the open market is:
Rs. 70,000 / ton
72 Sheets / ton

Any amount of donations submitted will be used for purchasing CGI sheets. You can use the donation link along the right menu area, below the archives section to donate using PayPal.

We desperately need your help! Please remember that the winter is worse than we anticipated and it is progressively getting more difficult to help on our own, we urge you to donate!!

Pakistan hit by 'mild' earthquake (5.1)

2006-01-11T01:02:00.000-08:00

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale has struck northern Pakistan, the meteorological department officals say. But there has been no immediate reports of damage or casualities, they say. The epicentre of the quake is said to be 200km (125 miles) north-east of Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province.

The earthquake struck at 1049 (0549 GMT) and was felt in several cities including the capital, Islamabad, as well as parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir which was badly hit in October. The region has been hit by more than 1,500 aftershocks following the recent earthquake.

Source: BBC News

Remembrance Week - 26th December, 2005 - 1st January, 2006

2005-12-25T07:07:00.000-08:00

Last year, on the 26th December, an earthquake, and then a tsunami, killed, wounded, or impoverished hundreds of thousands of people in South Asia.

During the course of the year, other disasters took their toll too. Most devastating of them: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the South-East coast of the USA; and another enormous earthquake near Pakistan's border with India.

These disasters took their immediate toll, and, each time, the world tried to help. But as calamity piled upon calamity, there has been a certain amount of fatigue. Perhaps people's stock of goodwill has run low. Perhaps seeing too much suffering hardens us.

But, the fact is, the suffering from those disasters has not ceased. Parts of South Asia have still not recovered from December 26th, 2004. In the USA, normalcy hasn't returned to New Orleans. In Pakistan, thousands are still homeless, and may not survive the harsh Himalayan winter.

They need your help.

Last December and this January, the online community came together as never before to help in the aid efforts in South-East Asia. The lessons learned there were put to use, and improved upon, when the other tragic events of the year unfolded.

Can we harness that goodwill, that togetherness, that willingness to help once more?

The WorldWideHelp group would like you to join us in Remembrance Week. Here's what we suggest you do.

Use your blogs, your home pages, your wikis, your newsletters. Link to your favourite charities and NGOs, write a paragraph about them and the work they are doing, and ask your readers to make a donation. (If you'd like to find some more charities and NGOs, please take a look at this page on our TsunamiHelp wiki, this one on our KatrinaHelp wiki, or this one on our QuakeHelp wiki.)

Please link back to this page to help pass the word. You can use the image above.

Please use this Technorati Tag: Disaster Remembrance Week.
Here's the code:
<a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/disaster%20remembrance%20week" rel="tag">Disaster Remembrance Week</a>

In this post, we have a few more banners and buttons, with intructions on the code you must post to use them.

Oxfam Auction for Victims

2005-12-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

Many celebrities sat for photos with Greg Williams to help Oxfam International’s "Make Trade Fair," an awareness campaign to end unfair international trade practices. Now Oxfam America is auctioning these autographed, one of a kind, pieces of art – in order to help victims of Katrina and Pakistan’s earthquake. In an eBay auction starting December 21 and ending 3 p.m. December 31, Oxfam America will be auctioning framed, autographed posters of Chris Martin, Colin Firth, Minnie Driver, and Djimon Hounsou. All the money raised from this auction will help Katrina victims and hundreds of thousand of displaced Pakistanis who now face a brutal winter.

You can place your bids here.

Relief group calls for help to Pakistan quake survivors

2005-12-20T11:06:00.000-08:00

With thousands of earthquake survivors facing severe winter in the mountainous regions of northern Pakistan, the head of Oxfam GB has warned that help must arrive soon to prevent a second humanitarian catastrophe. Oxfam is the UK branch of an emergency relief organization. Oxfam International is supervising the charity's earthquake response operations in Pakistan. Oxfam has called for the United Nations to be given more resources in order to co-ordinate and bolster the relief effort. The UN is trying to scale up its operations but is hindered by lack of funding, it said.

According to an Oxfam press release, the UN has received less than half of the money it requested for its initial response to the October earthquake, while many pledges for the second phase ofreconstruction have similarly failed to materialize. Of the 551 million US dollars requested for the UN emergency appeal, it said, less than 230 million dollars has reached the UN. Additionally, whereas 1.1 billion dollars was promised for Pakistan's reconstruction efforts, less than 800 million dollars has materialized. Many of these pledges were in any case loans rather than grants. Oxfam has urged donor governments to match the generosity of public donations. With winter bringing freezing temperatures, thousands may soon die unless resources for better shelter and improved camp management arrives quickly. Read More....

Source: Xinhua

A Menu for Hope II

2005-12-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

Pim Techamuanvivit, fellow contributor to the SEA-EAT blog, and well-known food blogger, presents a way for you to help the survivors of the Kashmir quake. Donate US$5 at her A Menu for Hope II page at Firstgiving, and you could win any of the great stuff she has listed here.

Funds collected via A Menu for Hope II go straight to UNICEF. The tote board stands at US$4,438 as of this time, and will stay open until December 24th. Prizes will be announced January 1st, 2006.

Wonderful idea, Pim.

The "donate" link once more: A Menu for Hope II - http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeII.

Do pass this on, please.

Eid-ul-Adha is few weeks away..donate.

2005-12-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

Appeal to muslims:

Eid-ul-adha(the Festival of Sacrifice) is just few weeks away and we should plan early and donate sheep, cow or whatever you are planning to slaughter's money to earth quake victims. Average animal cost around $100 (RS 6000) and if every muslim share the same thought we can build new homes for victims.

Please donate to whatever agency you prefer, In my opinion Edhi Foundation is doing best job for couple of decades and we should make edhi more strong by donating as much as possible.

During my visit to edhi home in Islamabad last month. I was surprise to see Edhi working himself and arranging all the clothes sent by people.

http://www.edhifoundation.com/

Happy Hajj & Eid-ul Adha to all muslim brother and sister.

Imran Hashmi
www.hashmi.ca

MSF Choppers Available for NGOs!

2005-12-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) Holland has offered the humanitarian community access to its two Muzaffarabad based A350 ‘Squirrel’ helicopters. Requests can be made by NGOs, to conduct assessment flights in the affected area and for transport of personnel. However, agencies should note that the ‘Squirrels’ have a limited cargo capacity of approximately 350kg.

Any NGO or aid agency wishing to avail themselves of this offer may contact the MSF Holland logistics team on 0300 852 6616 or via e-mail: msfh-abbottabad at field.amsterdam.msf.org, to obtain further details.

Source: UNJLC Team (Pakistan)

Road and Air Transportation Updates from UNJLC

2005-12-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

Roads' Network Status: The deteriorating weather conditions are now a major source of concern to all parties participating in the relief effort. UNJLC, in conjunction with various partners, including UN DSS and WFP, will provide regular updates on the conditions of the key humanitarian road corridors over the coming weeks and months.

UNJLC Muzaffarabad will act as a focal point to provide regular updates on road conditions and welcomes inputs from all operational partners. NGOs operating in the Muzaffarabad area can obtain road assessment forms either from the UNJLC team based at the UN compound or by contacting 0300 856 0168 or 0300 856 5968 for further details. UNJLC is also conducting other assessments in the area, including a fuel survey. The UNJLC Muzaffarabad team also encourages all humanitarian agencies operating in the district to attend the logistics cluster meeting scheduled for 19:00 on Tuesdays in the UN compound.

UNJLC is also investigating the potential use of assets such as the NATO/Luxembourg MD-900 helicopters to conduct rapid verification missions, subject to its availability. The key to the success of monitoring the road network will be the acquisition of information from all parties on the ground. UNJLC encourages all NGOs to submit road reports to either their local UNJLC field coordination team or to provide information via SMS to 0300 856 4252 or by e-mail to: pakistan.roads@unjlc.org

Nato Air Bridge Status: UNJLC claims that, contrary to reports from some sources, the NATO air bridge has not closed. The military aircrafts operating principally out of Incirlik, Turkey, have been stood down, but remain subject to recall if necessary. In addition,
civilian charter flights continue to be arranged, as funds permit. So whilst the intensity of the operation has reduced, NATO will still consider validated requests for the transportation of high priority relief cargo. UN agencies and NGOs wishing to avail themselves of this offer should contact the UNJLC Civil Military Coordination unit in Islamabad on 0300 856 0164.

Source: Bulletin#21 - UNJLC (Pakistan)

Igloos could save lives

2005-12-03T04:13:00.000-08:00

From a reader (edited):

140,000 people are stranded above the snowline in the Pakistani Himalayan Mountains without access to shelter and 2.7 million are without shelter. Snow may fall anytime and trap hundreds of thousands who will freeze to death.
Aid workers say that the first significant snow of the winter is [will expose] millions of homeless people to the threat of hunger and hypothermia.

Here is a true Innovative Emergency Shelter for Quake Survivors. It has been time-tested in frigid winters, costs nothing to build, and the recipe can be quickly given to a million or more people at a time.

Igloos of snow cost nothing and would give every family a cozy and relatively warm, sturdy place to live immediately and are practical for extreme conditions.

The igloo floors could be laid from concrete and stone debris and would act to store the tiny inside fire's heat to warm the freezing nights. These Inuit and Eskimo traditional techniques would definitely work well and would risk no one's life from heavy building materials falling due to hasty construction by first-time builders.
I propose that millions of simple lightweight instructional leaflets be printed immediately in native languages with drawings from the websites listed below. The leaflets and other bundles can be airdropped over survivor's camps for access to ancient forgotten tribal techniques of living in frigid snowy climes. Your bilingual workers would need to translate the package of instructions for igloo building technology.

Please look up the following web sites for pictures and descriptions of how to build igloos:

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/cape_dorset/dwell1.html

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/cape_dorset/dwell2.html

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/cape_dorset/inter.html

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/cape_dorset/dwell3.html

Extracts:

"After the key block has been inserted the hut is tightly sealed and a lamp is kindled inside. The heated air, having no exit, begins to melt the face of the snow blocks, which rapidly congreals again on admission of cold air from the outside. Ths each snow block is firmly cemented in place and converted to ice on its inner face. Occupation for a few days then gradually changes the interiors of the blocks, so that the structure is no longer a snow house but a house of ice. The transformation gives it remarkable stability; a man can stand on the summit without causing collapse, and half the house can be destroyed without destroying the other half. Consequently by building a series of intersecting domes and omitting or opening up the common egments, an Eskimo can enlarge a small circular hut capable of housing only 1 or 2 families into a community dwelling of 3, 4 or 5 rooms that will house 15 or 20 people."

"...men would take their snow knife and go to their prepared snow field. Once there, starting from the edge they start cutting snow blocks. The packed snow had hardened from the combination of stomp packing and freezing.

Since smaller helicopters can only carry about 165 lbs. in the thin air of the Himalayas, larger military planes would be needed to drop these supplies. I recommend water cans, water purification tablets, dried foodstuffs, long barbecue lighters and machetes (as snow knives) to cut snow blocks. Waste wooden building materials could be split with the machete also and used to produce heat inside the igloos. Also sheets, woolen and space blankets would be vital as the temperature would be about 33 degrees inside the igloo.

James D. Peck caferush2@yahoo.com
Please respond with e-mail or call me at (1)(978)546-5217 to let me know how the plan worked out if you move forward with it. I will try to be available if you have questions.

Tremors felt at Drosh, Chitral

2005-12-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

An earthquake of mild intensity measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale hit Chitral Thursday on Dec 01, 2005. According to preliminary analysis of Meteorological Station Peshawar, the earthquake originated at 1223 hours and its epicentre was about 300 kilometres north of Peshawar in the Hindukush Range. The quake was also felt at Drosh and other adjoining areas. No casualties were reported.

Source: DAWN

Hundreds of Pneumonia Cases Reported in Affected Areas

2005-12-01T11:09:00.000-08:00

Health officials in Pakistan have said that hundreds of people, most of them children, had contracted pneumonia in the earthquake-stricken areas of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.A three-member health team has been sent to Darbang and Nariola villages to evaluate the situation and more teams were expected to arrive from Islamabad in a day or two. The health department in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir has urged the federal ministry of health to send reinforcements. Six mobile teams are expected to reach Muzaffarabad by last Wednesday evening.

Pakistan-controlled Kashmir received its first harsh winter weather at the weekend with up to 8 inches of snowfall at high altitudes and up to 1.2 inches (32 mm) of rain in lower areas. Relief operations resumed on Monday after the weather cleared and continued on Tuesday, but the weather conditions remain cold in the area.

Source: AKI

Fresh quake jolts Pakistan

2005-12-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale jolted northwestern Pakistan early yesterday but there were no reports of casualties. With winter starting to set in, the the focus of the relief effort was shifting towards food as Aid officials fear sickness sweeping through a cold and poorly nourished population will cause a second wave of deaths.

Source: Gulf Daily News

Baby becomes first quake survivor to die of cold

2005-12-01T01:25:00.000-08:00

The thing we all feared is starting to happen, with the cold of the Himalyan winter hitting the survivors of the quake.

From The New Zealand Herald

Baby becomes first quake survivor to die of cold

A three-month-old baby has become the first Pakistan earthquake survivor to die of the cold as thousands more face the onset of winter without shelter.

Waqar Mukhtar died hours after he was admitted to hospital in Kashmir with pneumonia.

Relief workers are warning that unless more aid reaches the affected area fast, his may be the first in a new wave of deaths from the earthquake.

Waqar was among the hundreds of thousands of earthquake survivors who live in villages on the high mountainsides of Kashmir and neighbouring North-West Frontier Province - mountains where the first snow has just begun to arrive.

He was rushed down the mountainside to hospital in the city of Muzzaffarabad as soon as he fell sick, but it was too late.

In many villages, the survivors are still without adequate shelter, despite desperate pleas from the United Nations and the Pakistani government for more international aid.

Many live under makeshift tents made out of plastic sheeting, or crude shelters they have hammered together from planks and bits of corrugated iron roofing they have salvaged from the ruins of their homes.

Doctors have warned that it is the children who are at gravest risk from the cold without proper shelter.

In many villages, there is only enough room in the tents for the women and youngest children.

Men and boys as young as 14 sleep outside.

Read the full story. Link via Indian Writing.

Kashmir Update by ADEPT: Is this the Beginning of the New Disaster?

2005-11-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

(ADEPT's International climbing team is ready awaiting permission from the government to move in)

Quake affected Kashmir experienced the seasons first heavy snowfall since yesterday. The upper reaches of the Kashmir valley, in India, experienced a fresh spell of snowfall, resulting in considerable drop in temperatures. Border areas of Karnah, in Baramulla district, recorded about two and a half feet of snowfall, leading to road block. Gurez, one of the worst affected areas in the earthquake, and Sadhna Top in Kupwara also had six inches of snowfall each. The Baramulla town experienced light snowfall followed by rains, which disrupted normal life. The Sriangar-Leh national highway has been officially closed down for the six winter months. All traffic personnel deployed on the highway have been withdrawn. Official sources warned that anybody still plying their vehicles on the highway will be doing at their own risk. There is risk of landslies due to the rains. Helicopters have been grounded.

With no written titles to property in the area, and with considerable risk of property being stolen, villagers prefer to stay put and brave the winter exposure. Many temporary shelters in the area are enmarshed in the mud created by rain. Sanitary conditions are worse than ever.

The first deaths of an infant and an old man, due to exposure, were reported yesterday from Pakistan. While relief oganisations are building shelters as fast as they can, with heavy rains and a fresh blanket of snow, it isn’t fast enough for those who have been living rough since the Oct. 8 earthquake. A large number of tents and tin sheets purchased and stockpiled for the purpose of providing shelter, have yet to be delivered, with weather conditions worsening every day. ADEPT's partner, the Catholic Relief Services, have completed about 28% of planned distribution of tin sheets. Further bad weather ahead will leave villagers in the isolated mountains without food, shelter or other aid. Those already suffering from respiratory infection are at risk for Pneumonia. Children and the elderly risk hypothermia.

Paper work sucks

2005-11-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

Once again I managed to stay M.I.A. for sometime.

Getting involved in the NGO world is not always what one might perceive it to be. Unfortunately, there is a lot of catching up to do before getting thrown into the field. It's funny that I always thought that field work was not something I was meant to ever do. Some part of me still agrees with that, but the majority of me is very content.

Officially, I have only made a couple trips up north -- one with a donor and one to do distribution monitoring in Bagh.

Since many of you may still not know what exactly it is that I do, I am a project manager for two earthquake related projects, being implemented in Bagh, Mansehra and Battagram.

One project, with CARE International, is just distribution of emergency relief provisions to some 2000 identified households in Battagram, Mansehra and Bagh. This is just giving them preassembled CARE packages of basic household needs (including tents) to get people on their feet with rebuilding their lives.

The other, the bigger one, is a housing project for people in the same districts (in NWFP and AJK). We have yet to commence that as the project was recently approved. This one is with Department for International Development.

The last couple of weeks have been spent mainly catching up with whats going on, getting information and being buried in tons of paperwork and contractual agreements, etc.

This is definately a great start to a wonderful and very rewarding career. I hope that things materialize faster for the needy than they are right now because, well...we don't want there to be no one left to save by snowfall...that would be very upsetting and careless.

I will be rather infrequent about my posts for some time, at least until I get my shit together because work between the office and the field keeps me away from luxury and citizen reporting very often.

Ciao
Cross-posted on Shake the Quake

IR Projects

2005-11-22T03:42:00.000-08:00

Islamic Relief is working on a few projects in Kashmir, details below:

Opening Roads

Islamic Relief has hired 20 large earthmoving vehicles for two months to clear landslides and open roads to areas that need aid.

Distributions

In agreement with the World Food Programme, IR is distributing food to 180,000 people in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Rawalakot, and Neelum valley. The project is planned to last for six months.

Islamic Relief is supporting International Health Partners (IHP) deliver medical aid worth £2,000,000 in Kashmir.

IR has initiated a project to supply 10,000 families with winter tents and non-food items in 45 days.

Warm clothing is being provided to 25,000 survivors of the quake in four districts of Kashmir.

Clean Water

A project aimed at providing access to clean water for 2,000 families has begun. IR staff are also installing 500 latrines.

Donations

An aid flight paid charted by the UK government arrived in Islamabad with 60 tonnes of aid. The cargo included tents, blankets, water sterilisers and X-Ray machines.

IR Belgium has shipped a 40 foot container of aid worth €25,000 to Pakistan.

The Rotary Club has made a donation to IR Pakistan of 100 pallets of winterised tents and 90 pallets of sleeping bags.

An aid flight left Gatwick airport on 11 November with 50,000 kg of aid. The consignment included winterised tents, bottled water, blankets and water sterilisers.

IR's USA office is sending a 747 cargo plane to Pakistan with aid worth over $2.6 million.

An Islamic Relief donor in Panama has organised a 20 foot container of blankets.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has delivered blankets, pillows and mattresses to IR staff in Kashmir for distribution. The aid will be distributed in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Dhirkot and Rawalakot.

Source: Islamic Relief

North Face & K.E.R. Nationwide Gear Drop for Quake Victims

2005-11-21T05:12:00.000-08:00

Following note comes from the team at Kashmir Earthquake Relief:

There's a North Face/K.E.R nationwide Gear Drop to benefit victims of the October 8, 2005 earthquake in Kashmir from Nov. 18-23. The quake killed more than 87,000 people and left more than 3 million people homeless. Now, a deadly Himalayan winter is fast approaching. The UN was warned that more than 500,000 more people could die from cold and starvation in Kashmir.

The Gear Drop is an opportunity for people to help at the local level across the USA to respond to the approaching threat of a second wave of tragic deaths. This specific effort will direct aid to the most at-risk communities in the quake-hit region of Kashmir. This area can only be reached by traversing over a snowbound 12,500 foot Himalayan Mountain pass.

National collection of tents, sleeping bags, bags, jackets and work gloves to be delivered to Kashmir earthquake victims. You can donate gear or purchase special donation discounted new gear for the quake victims. For all details and donation locations go here. To see a Flash presentation about this human tragedy or to learn more K.E.R. about go here. THIS IS A PREVENTABLE DISASTER - IF WE ACT NOW. So please donate and spread the word. Help us get aid to the victims!

15 % Damage to Pakistani Nuclear Facilities in Quake

2005-11-21T04:53:00.000-08:00

Hours after the quake in Pakistan, we had many emails from readers voicing their concern about the safety of Pakistan's Kahuta Nuclear Facility which was just 100km away from the quake's epicentre. The following report has been double-checked by various sources and it has been confirmed that there has been damage to the N-Facilities in affected areas:

There is fifteen to twenty per cent damage to Pakistani nuclear facilities and storage sites in the Northern Areas, especially in Skardu and Chitral, and the local population faces the risk of contamination, but a curfew has been imposed, and they are being actively prevented by the authorities from leaving the area. Because of the serious damage to the nuclear facilities in the Northern Areas, the Pakistan government has turned away international relief teams, prevented Indian Army relief work and Indian Air Force supply drops, and withdrawn the consent for Israeli assistance, fearing that Mossad agents would be infiltrated who would destroy the atomic establishments.

While Western sources did not say that reactors had been damaged in the 8 October earthquake, they confirmed that missile silos had developed cracks, and storage facilities had taken a hit, and since the epicentre is likely to be seismically active for another two years, they expressed fear of further collapse of the nuclear establishments. To prevent leak of this massive nuclear destruction, Pakistan both bottled up the local population by imposing curfew, and did not permit international inspection of the disaster-hit areas.

Source: NewsInsight

Mild quake shakes Maharashtra, no damages

2005-11-21T04:45:00.000-08:00

An earthquake of slight intensity rocked western Maharashtra in the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. No damages to property or life were reported. The quake, measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale, occurred in Satara district, 200 km southeast of Mumbai at 12.20 am on Monday.

"It was an earthquake of slight intensity and the epicentre lied on latitude 17.3 degrees and longitude 73.8 degrees," said CVV Bhadram, deputy director general, Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai.

Source: HT

Jeeps for Relief Efforts Available On Request by NGOs

2005-11-19T10:04:00.000-08:00

UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) is providing approximately 100 Russian made jeeps for use by humanitarian agencies involved in the relief effort. The jeeps were previously used in the recent Afghan election and have been over-hauled prior to delivery in Pakistan. They are well suited to rough mountain roads and are mechanically easy to maintain.

The basic specifications include; 7 seats (including 2 jumpseats), left side driver seat, petrol engine and roof rack. UNOPS is levying a cost recovery charge of $4000 dollars per jeep to transfer ownership to the requesting agency. The jeeps can be procured through UNJLC (United Nations Joint Logistics Center) and request forms can be downloaded from here- completed request forms should be sent to pakjeeps[at]gmail.com or submitted to the UNJLC office in Islamabad. Given the limited availability, priority will be given to those agencies requesting jeeps for use in field operations outside of Islamabad.

Source: UNJLC Pakistan Bulletin#14

Beyond Borders - A Joint Indo-Pak Fundraiser for Earthquake Relief

2005-11-15T00:13:00.000-08:00

"Beyond Borders" is a benefit for survivors for the south asian earthquake that is being organized by the FOSA (Friends Of South Asia). This event is scheduled to be held on Sat, Nov 19, 7pm - at Berkeley (in the San Francisco Bay Area). 100% of the proceeds will go towards grassroots earthquake relief efforts in Pakistan and India.

The event is unique in the sense that it is being organized by a coalition of a wide array of organizations, including Indian and Pakistani orgs (and other groups of the South Asian diaspora), as well as university departments, student groups, cultural groups, small businesses, and so on - who have all come together to show solidarity towards earthquake survivors on both sides of the border and work together for this important and urgent cause.

More information regarding feature artists, tickets, etc. can be found at the FOSA site here.

Source: Ramkumar from the Organizing Committee for Beyond Borders at FOSA

EarthQuake Report

2005-11-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

I just got back to Karachi after spending two weeks filming in Balakot.

Balakot is a small town in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, about 60 miles north of Islamabad. Located near the quake’s epicenter, it is said to be among the worst devastated.

We visited a few small villages up in the mountains around Balakot, and everywhere we went it was the same story. The people in these areas depend on subsistence farming and their livestock for survival. A large number of the livestock has been killed, and the remaining is without any sort of shelter.

Many people too are still without tents. Some have provided makeshift shelters for their animals under cloth or plastic sheets. They urgently require proper shelter both for themselves and their livestock. Without shelter their livestock will not survive the harsh winter and many will lose their only source of income. The animals also require veterinary care to prevent malnutrition and disease outbreaks.

Although tent villages have been established in the towns, the majority are not willing to leave their land and livestock behind to move to these camps.

At this time of the year, the yearly migration of people and their animals is also taking place from the mountains to the plains. On the main road from Kaghan/Naran to Mansera, we saw many families on the move; some due to the earthquake. An average herd would consist of a few donkeys, cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep and a dog or two. Baby goats and lambs born on the move are often carried on donkey’s backs, or carried by the people in their arms. Pregnant animals get no rest, neither are they able to receive any veterinary care along the way. It is survival of the fittest for all.

At night also they are on the move in the pitch dark. Sometimes they stop by the side of the highway for a little rest. If they are near a town, they burn the discarded relief clothes by the roadside for warmth. Shepherds often collect the sweaters and shirts and put them on their goats. A lot of the goats we saw were constantly coughing. According to the shepherds, they tend to die soon after. These people too are facing a crisis as the price of their animals has fallen drastically, and they do not know how they will survive.

The international animal welfare community needs to be urgently mobilized to provide assistance to the animals in the affected areas. Apart from WSPA (wspa.org.uk) and the Brooke Hospital for Animals (www.thebrooke.org), there are no other animal welfare organizations that I am aware of who are providing disaster relief to the animals.

Food is available for both people and animals in most places. Providing shelter for all ought to be a priority at this point.

We need to take action now before the severe winter weather sets in by the end of November. Already, it has started snowing in some areas. What is needed is an urgent assessment of the affected areas, and community shelters for the livestock in villages up in the mountains. More mobile veterinary teams need to be sent out to the remote villages, and most importantly, the local Pakistani veterinary community needs to be encouraged to play their role in the disaster relief efforts.

We hope you can help in sending out alerts to the international community to take action before it’s too late.

Regards,
Mahera Omar
www.pawspakistan.org

For more information, please take a look at these websites:

WSPA Earthquake relief

Sunday Herald

Videos: Geo Television, Pakistan

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

2005-11-11T02:57:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-11T02:46:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-11T02:40:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-10T03:32:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-10T02:23:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-09T01:28:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-09T01:24:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-09T01:15:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

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

New York: Blanket Collection for Earthquake Victims

2005-11-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

Dr. Saleem Mir, located at 132 Maple Street ( map ) in New York, is collecting blankets and warm coats for the victims of the recent South Asian earthquake , which has already claimed over 73,000 lives. For more information, please call 914-271-6606.

Source: CrotonBlog

Worldwide Vigil for Kashmir earthquake

2005-11-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

On November 8, 2005 it will be the 1 month anniversary of the South Asian earthquake, 20 cities worldwide will hold a vigil to grieve for those who have lost their lives, provide hope for those who have survived but are living in deplorable conditions, and highlight to the world and the media that a lot more needs to be done as time is running out. Please join SAQUAKE.ORG to show your support and attend these events so our individual voices can be one loud message of hope and action. See a list of participating cities below and for full information about vigil locations and contacts please go to www.saquake.org

Participating cities include:

Amsterdam, Netherlands; Arcata, CA; Atlanta, GA; Bay Area, CA; Boston, MA; Canberra, Australia; Chicago, IL; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Minneapolis, MN; Montreal, Canada; Los Angeles, CA; Olympia, WA; Ottawa, Canada; New York, NY; Seattle, WA; San Diego, CA; Toronto, Canada; Troy, NY; Washington D.C.;

Vigil for the Victims and Survivors of the South Asian Earthquake:
To grieve for lives lost, provide hope to those still struggling to survive, draw the world's attention to the work that still needs to be done : Tuesday, November 8, 2005

Source: SAQuake via Wadias

Help needed in Saadpur village near Neelum river

2005-11-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

From Sajjad Zaidi's blog:

I got this message from Aamir recently which I thought I should pass on. Saadpur village, with about 50-70 homes and a population of 600-900, about 300 of which are children, needs help. It is situated near the Neelum river that I mentioned earlier and is currently inaccessable by road. Someone has to go there physically and find a way to deliver food, tents and medical assistance. With winter coming, we only have a short time to save as many lives as possible so this is urgent.

Eid Mubarak

2005-11-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the dust, we should not forget that today the moon has shown itself and that marks the end of the Holy month of Ramzan for the entire Muslim world (give or take a day or two) so I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers and those who have really broken their backs trying to help Pakistan get back on its feet.

EID MUBARAK!

41 villages have still not been reached

2005-11-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

According to an official military statement on Wednesday, forty-one earthquake-hit villages in the North West Frontier Province have not yet been reached since the October 8 earthquake due to their inaccessibility.

“The Pakistan army is providing supplies and relief goods to 41 villages through helicopters which have not physically accessed the villages so far,” it added.

These villages have been identified and troops would reach them within 24 hours, the army hoped. The statement, however, did not identify the villages nor did it give information about how many people were in need of medical treatment. The statement said the army “evacuated all serious casualties” from the areas of the NWFP where the earthquake wrecked havoc on October 8.

Source: Daily Times

Volunteers Needed in Rawalpindi

2005-11-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

The following is from an email sent in to us:

We are a group of volunteers who are working in different hospitals of Rawalpindi. Our main aim is to help and serve the patients who are unattended (i.e. have no relatives). There are some security problems where in some cases patients have been kidnapped and molested. So we need volunteers who can assist whenever they have time, preferably in the night.

If you are living in Rawalpindi and are willing to help the earthquake victims then please contact Shahabz at 0301-5049321 and/or Humaira at 0300-5345534.

Blood Donations Needed In Islamabad Today

2005-11-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

Blood donations are urgently needed for the earthquake victims, especially negatives. The blood camp is located at Sector H-8 and it has been set up by the Red Crescent Society. Please pass the word around.

All roads in Rawalakot, Bagh reopened

2005-11-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

All the roads in Rawalakot and Bagh district have been reopened by the Pakistan Army Engineers. Most of the roads in Muzaffarabad district have also been reopened except for Neelum Valley and some portion of Muzzaffarabad-Chakothi road.

A Balley Bridge was successfully launched by Engineers troops to keep the communication open at Lamnian. A 28 km long road from Lipa to Rashian has also been reopened after an exhaustive ammount of work. Almost 20 km stretch of Gari Dupatta - Pathiali - Panjkot - Nauseri road has been reopened while the nine km of Bagh- Chhattar- Chakoti road out the total 25 km have also been cleared.

The 28 km long Thakot-Banna road has been reopened for all types of traffic. The work for reopening Kaghan-Balakot road continue in full swing. The 35 km long stretch of road has been repaired while the remaining five km will be opened shortly.

Source: GEO TV

Two points along LoC on Indian side will be ready by Nov 4

2005-11-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

Two of the five centres along the Line of Control agreed to by India and Pakistan to coordinate the relief efforts to quake victims across divided Kashmir would be ready on the Indian side in a couple of days, a defence spokesman said Wednesday.

He said the two points - Rawalakot-Poonch and Tattapani-Mendhar will be ready from our side at Poonch and Medhar respectively by November four to enable people to ferry relief and reconstruction material for the victims from both sides of Kashmir.

In Mendhar area of Poonch district, the route is almost ready after clearing the mines adjacent Roshini Post facing Khanna Post from Azad Kashmir (AJK), the spokesman said adding some mines are to be cleared near Gulpur area facing Rawalkote in main town of Poonch in the district.

Source: OnlineNewsNet - Pakistan

Billboards as tent covers

2005-11-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

In Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, recycled advertising billboards serve as rain covers on the tents of earthquake refugees:

Source: SFGate via PakQuake

How You Can Help Raise Awareness

2005-11-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

Open Silicon Valley provides a list ways to get involved. They provide information about how to raise awareness with government, media, corporations and community. Go there and find a way to help.

Source: SouthAsiaEarthquake.org

Death toll in Asian quake jumps to 73,276

2005-11-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

Pakistan's official earthquake death toll jumped by 16,000, and officials warned Wednesday that it is likely to rise further as relief supplies fail to reach thousands of victims stranded in remote parts of the Himalayas.

The announcement, which puts the official toll at 73,000, brings the central government figures closer to the number reported by local officials, who say the Oct. 8 quake killed at least 79,000 people in Pakistan. Read More.....

Source: CJAD 800 AM

When Winter Comes

2005-11-02T02:28:00.000-08:00

More links and extracts lifted, with permission, from Uma Mahadevan-Dasgupta's Indian Writing

Here is

South Asia Earthquake Fact Sheet No 19, dated 31 October 2005:Close to 3 million homeless. According to Unicef, 17000 children died in the quake. Between 1.6 and 2.2 million children have been affected.

Here is Medicins Sans Frontieres' earthquake relief report

While
the treatment of wounds and fractures appears to be slightly
decreasing, MSF is worried that the health of thousands of homeless and
vulnerable people will deteriorate rapidly due to exposure and food
shortages. MSF teams are distributing winterized tents, blankets and
relief items such as cooking and hygiene kits, but at the moment,
limits on logistical capacity in the difficult mountainous terrain is
insufficient to get enough people adequate shelter before winter hits
in a few weeks time.

Here is an interview with the UN Humanitarian Area Coordinator:

Many
countries still believe that it is a classic natural disaster which in
most instances has two phases. One is search and rescue, the most
intensive first 96 hours after the disaster, then a little bit of
relief and then the second phase - reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Here because of the disaster and the magnitude of that, we see
dramatically increased vulnerability of people, which never happened
before as a result of a natural disaster, at least in recent years.
Nobody remembers this kind of situation...

I think if anyone
wants to deliver a lecture on natural disasters, this quake would be
the best example because everything that could have gone wrong, went
wrong. Any difficulty you can imagine is there. What makes it
especially difficult is the dramatic increase in vulnerability of large
groups of people living in a huge territory with very difficult access
and harsh climatic conditions...

Maybe part of the difficulty is
that the images do not allow you to understand the magnitude. If you
see a couple of villages completely destroyed - and you realise that
each village may have about 500 to 1,000 people - the human brain
probably does not calculate or doesn't multiply it to see the sheer
magnitude of that.

I wanted to tell you that I flew over the
Neelum Valley. I saw with my own eyes, flying sometimes very low and by
stopping. From 90 to 100 percent of housing was destroyed. And in most
instances, if not all, 100 percent of the population does not have
housing at all. Even if a building is still there, then it is
uninhabitable.

Q: With the onset of winter, what are primary concerns at this point?

A: Funding.

Q: What will happen if donors simply don't respond? Will you scale back your activities in any way?

A: Yes. We'll scale down and phase out.

If we haven't already given, please let's give what we can.

Please go here for Unicef's statement, appeal, pictures from the first tent school, and online donation facility.

This Diwali, this Eid, please help save the children.

Why Kashmir isn't getting the attention it needs - an opinion

2005-11-02T02:20:00.000-08:00

Why was it that the desolation of coastal fisherfolk in Tamil Nadu had managed to sear through the thick wall of urban indifference, but here in Kashmir, we were still struggling?

Barkha Dutt in Hindustan Times. Read the article here.

[Link courtesy Indian Writing]

UNHCR considering leaving

2005-11-01T22:19:00.000-08:00

Lack of funds delaying relief operations - At least one United Nations relief agency, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is considering packing up and leaving if it doesn’t get the $30 million needed to manage relief camps in November.

“The organisation is operating on borrowed money from other relief agencies,” UNHCR Communications Manager Vivan Tan told Daily Times. She said UNHCR had utilised $15 million of the borrowed money and had received only $4 million out of the $30 million required. “We will try and pull through as long as possible, another two to three weeks, but after that we will have no other choice,” she added.

UNHCR is looking after the most vital area of relief, camp management, in earthquake-affected areas. “We see more and more people coming down from the hills for help but there is little we can offer them at the moment,” said the spokesperson. The UN has asked for around 600,000 tents to accommodate earthquake survivors but has received only 140,000 tents, with 200,000 more in the pipeline.

“Relief agencies have started working on different non-tent options to fight the cold weather, such as corrugated iron sheets, mud walls and plastic sheeting, but all plans are stuck because of the lack of funds,” said Tan. She said that Pakistani agencies were aware of the situation but not much could be done. “Our financial source is money committed against the UN flash appeal of $580 million.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations said that international aid agencies had received less than one quarter of the funding they need for emergency relief for Pakistan.

Source: AFP via Daily Times

Urgent need for winter tents in Pakistan

2005-11-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

A second disaster is waiting to happen in Pakistan if victims of the Oct 8 earthquake do not have "winterised" tents as the weather freezes in. Peace Malaysia co-ordinator Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said each RM380 tent could keep at least five people warm in the sub-zero temperatures expected in two to three weeks.

"I was in Balakot last week and saw that the current tents used by victims are totally inadequate. Even if you place a heater in a tent now, you won’t feel heat. Imagine what it would be when temperatures dip below zero. It would be absolutely frigid," Mukhriz said at Balai Berita here.

He feared the death toll of 60,000 after the Oct 8 earthquake would double if nothing was done soon to prepare for winter. On the tents, obtained from Dubai, Japan and Korea, he said nearly 500,000 were needed. The Airfreight Forwarders Association of Malaysia (AFAM) will be working with Peace Malaysia to provide free freight services to send aid from anywhere in Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Alternatively, they can SMS a donation to the fund by typing GEMPA2 to donate RM2 and GEMPA5 to donate RM5. The public can also deposit cash directly into Bumiputra-Commerce Bank account number 14200-007719-055. Cheques can be made out to "Ehsan Mangsa Gempabumi Asia Selatan" and sent to B-13-D2, Plaza Mont Kiara, No 2 Jalan Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.

Source: New Staits Times

RISE-PAK

2005-11-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

This site provides and gathers Demographic, Disaster, Access, and Assistance data and maps on all Earthquake Affected Villages to Help Coordinate Relief Efforts.

This information-sharing web portal compiles detailed demographic data, damage, access and relief updates at the village/town level to ensure that no one is overlooked in the relief efforts. The information is provided in a flexible and searchable format and is based on data from population statistics, satellites, geographical systems, and relief agencies, workers, and local officials. The portal is maintained by a consortium of experts from US and Pakistani Universities, the World Bank, NGOs, and the private sector, with support from the Government of Pakistan.

Please see RISE-PAK.

IR update

2005-11-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

Aid distributed by IR and donations received at the end of last week.

Points of note: Mormon church has donated 20 containers of aid to IR. The aid will arrive in Pakistan by ship and includes medical equipment, blankets and emergency kits. The Sun newspaper has donated 85 winterised army tents to IR which have now arrived in Islamabad.

Friday 28 October
IR staff gave out 194 family tents in Muzaffarabad district and Neelum Valley. They also handed out 279 quilts, 108 blankets, 492 food packs and 111 plastic sheets.

In Dhirkot, IR aid workers distributed 200 tents, 358 quilts, 86 blankets, 173 water containers, 877 gift packs, 1,264 packets of milk, 994 bags of flour, 988 bottles of cooking oil and 992 food packs.

In Bagh, 294 tents were distributed to villagers.

In Rawalakot, 110 tents, 740 quilts, 368 kitchen sets, 480 food packs, 405 bags of flour, 110 plastic sheets and 190 blankets were distributed to survivors.

IR USA received a large donation of 20 containers of aid from the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints. The shipment contains blankets, medical equipment and emergency kits and will be sent by sea to Pakistan.

The Sun newspaper has donated 85 Hungarian winterised army tents to IR. The aid consignment left UK on Thursday 27 October.

IR South Africa is sending a 40 foot container of warm clothing to Pakistan. Another two containers, one containing blankets, the other containing flour, are due to leave South Africa in early November.

Quake Survivors Face Worsening Weather

2005-11-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

Forecasts of rain showers and light snow on earthquake-hit regions of northern Pakistan on Tuesday compounded the misery of hundreds of thousands of people living in the open with little or no shelter.

Temperatures were forecast to dip to around 7 C in the shattered town of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and as low as -12 C in the highest mountain villages, the Pakistan Meteorological Department reported. Snow was also expected in villages around 3,353 metres.

With the brutal Himalayan winter just weeks away, the relief effort is rushing to deliver tents, food and medicine to victims before villages are cut-off by snows and helicopter-grounding fog. The UN has warned that thousands more could die without adequate aid. Read More....

Source: Globe and Mail

Aftershock of 4.9 in Pakistan earlier today

2005-11-01T03:05:00.000-08:00

Just a few minutes past 12 noon in Pakistan today (01/11/05), an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.9 and a depth of 10 Km ocurred about 50 miles East of Mingaora, 75 miles North of Islamabad and 100 miles South West of Gilgit in Kashmir (Coordinates: 34.73N 73.24E) . The Pakistan Net Department has issued a statement on their website informing that aftershocks are likely to continue for the next two weeks.

Source: USGS NEIC

PMA Needs Volunteers Urgently - North of Pakistan

2005-11-01T01:40:00.000-08:00

Are you are interested in helping your fellow countrymen? But can’t go up north? Then this is your chance to make a BIG difference!

The PMA (Pakistan Medical Association) has brought a group of 15 patients to a well equipped
& state of the art hospital in Hub. They need volunteers to be with these patients & help them
remember how to smile.

Transport: Pick & Drop facility by PMA, from PMA house.

Cafeteria: Free food will be provided from a hygienic café in the hospital.

Resting/Study Rooms: Well furnished rooms with attached washrooms will be provided to the volunteers

Timing: 12 hourly shifts are schedule (might cut down to 6 hourly, if enough volunteers are ready to help.)

Nature of Work:
• If you are skilled then you can help the doctor carry out orders.
• Talking to the patients & inquire their needs in the new city.

Don't forget to take your books with you, cause you’ll have ample of time to study/read there.
Please contact the PMA house at 2251159.

Source: EseeJee

Google Earth Dynamic overlay for Pakistan

2005-10-31T11:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Anne Wright & Randy Sargent from the Global Connection team who have been working on the GEarth overlay of affected areas & sent us more good news via email:

A Pakistan dynamic overlay containing 1-meter imagery and maps for
* Muzaffarabad
* Abbottabad
* Mansehra
* Murree

is available at
http://jaga.gc.cs.cmu.edu/rapid/pakistan/

Contents:
* 10 maps from DLR / Space Imaging, available from
http://www.zki.caf.dlr.de/

The dynamic overlay is now public!
(Please fee free to redistribute the overlay and images)

Army sets up help lines to redress complaints about relief

2005-10-31T06:51:00.000-08:00

The Pakistan Army has set up Help Lines at Mansehra, Battagram, Balakot, Shinkiari, Garhi Habibullah, Besham, Khaki and Chattar Plain areas of NWFP. These Help Lines will work round the clock and complaints, problems regarding relief operations will be recorded for immediate action to the staff on duty.

Following are the phone numbers of the Help Lines:

Mansehra (0997) 305781, 301656, 305271.
Batagram (0997) 312083, 311019
Balakot (0997) 501041,501383
Shinkiari (0997) 530016
Garhi Habibullah (0997)451884, 451695
Bisham (0996) 400594
Khaki (0997) 351378
Chattar Plain (0997) 333011

Source: APP

Gifts for the children of Garri Habibullah and Balakot

2005-10-31T06:21:00.000-08:00

A team of Karachi Metbloggers have taken an initiative to provide toys, clothes and entertainment stuff to the kids in earthquake affected areas. They are making “care packages” for these children. One package will cater one child and each package will contain:

one toy (doll, car, bat/ball, football, etc)
one candy/chocolate pack
one suit for eid
one eid card

These packages will hopefully reach them before eid. The contributions can be made in the form of the above mentioned items. For dropping off the goods contact hafsa.adil@lycos.com or by simply posting a comment on Karachi Metblog with a valid email address.

Source: PakQuake

EME starts installing generators in tent villages

2005-10-31T05:38:00.000-08:00

Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME) of Pakistan Army has started installation of generators for provision of electricity to the survivors living in tent villages of the quake hit areas of NWFP. EME is working round the clock on installation of 55 generators at various tent villages established by Pakistan Army at Banna, Kaghan and Gabori valley. Solar enrgy system is also being installed in tent villages of Hassa and Bassain of Balakot. Army on Monday setup several advance supply bases in the worst hit areas of Kaghan, Sirren and Allai valleys while Army Engineers cleared Balakot-Mangli, Thakot-Darband, Thakot-Banna, Darband-Thakot and Dubair-Khwar roads. Work on Balakot-Naran road is in progress from both the ends. As many as 98 sorties were flown by army aviation to airlift food stuffs, water and medicines.

Source: Dawn

Volunteers Needed for Relief Trip to Pehal (Near Mallot)

2005-10-31T05:26:00.000-08:00

A private relief team is leaving for Pehal (near Mallot) at 9:00 PM tonight (Oct. 31).

Those interested in accompanying the team should call Akmal Javed on 0321 4699066, or one of the following:

Mujeeb Qayyum - 0300 8433539
Shaoib Tareen - Cell 03008402265
Abdul Raouf - 0321 4698103

Source: Lahore Metblogs

Indian army: Mines across Kashmir border to be cleared

2005-10-31T04:40:00.000-08:00

Military officials from India and Pakistan are slated to hold talks on the clearing of tens of thousands of mines along the de facto border of disputedKashmir to facilitate earthquake relief, a top army official said. V.K. Singh, army chief of staff who heads anti-insurgency operations in Indian Kashmir, told AFP Monday that commanders from both sides would attend the meeting at a point along the border called the Line of Control (LoC).

Anti-personnel and anti-tank mines were among those that needed to be cleared after their deployment across the border regions in Kashmir, claimed by both India and Pakistan. The two sides also agreed on the weekend that relief supplies, with prior information and acceptance, could be sent across the LoC and handed over to local authorities at the crossing points.

Source: AFP

The Relief Tent Drive Team Issues an Inspiring Update

2005-10-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for your support and contributions! We have far surpassed our expectations with the grassroots efforts of the Relief Tent Drive! We are temporarily not accepting donations while we prepare our accounts to handle additional contributions. Because of the overwhelming response to this project, we need to enhance our donation accepting methods and are currently working towards partnering with an established and registered organization.

We will be back soon and will inform you when we start accepting donations again. In the mean time, you should be proud that your contributions have helped us:

- To purchase a total of 101 tents in Pakistan, of which 30 tents are on their way and 50 tents are being manufactured in Pakistan;
- To deliver 21 tents to villages that were under resourced or had yet to receive any aid.

We will continue to delivery the tents we have ordered with your funds, so you can rest assured that 100% of your donations have gone towards providing shelter. An Accounting Page is now available to ensure our efforts are transparent and clear to our donors and to the public...please visit this page for more information. Also, we have updated our distribution page with a map of areas delivered to, please see here.

Source: Relief Tent Drive

Warm Coats for Pakistan

2005-10-30T10:11:00.000-08:00

The American Alpine Club is leading a coat drive for victims of the earthquake in Pakistan and Kashmir, which has killed more than 50,000 people and left millions homeless, just as winter is approaching. Climbers and skiers almost always have extra coats lying around that seldom get used—here's how you can do something useful with them. Send your surplus fleece and down to the American Alpine Club, 710 10th St., Suite 100, Golden, CO 80401. The AAC will bundle the coats for shipment to Pakistan, where the Alpine Club of Pakistan will ensure they reach needy people in the mountains. The AAC also has established a Pakistan Relief Fund, which already has raised thousands of dollars for aid to mountain villages. Make a contribution online at the AAC website.

Source: The Mountain World

LDRF Update: Volunteers Needed - North of Pakistan

2005-10-30T09:05:00.000-08:00

The following is an urgent call for volunteers from an LDRG aid worker - Tree Elf:

The LUMS Disaster Relief Fund (LDRF) does not have volunteers who can go up north. We need you to volunteer yourself; your time, your energy. Contact Dr. Sohaib Khan ( sohaib[at]lums[dot]edu[dot]pk ) and Yasir Hashmi for volunteering. We need people to go up there, help organize stuff, coordinate, distribute. Help out in general. Do This! Give Some Of Your Time!

Additionally an important note for all donors from the LDRF team:

Don't send heavy trucks up north: there are massive traffic jams on the way. Also, don't send goods individually: we are not working alone. Contact Edhi, Red Crescent, Islamic Relief, SUNGI, Omar Asghar Khan Foundation, NRSP or the armed forces. There is an urgent need for large waterproof tents, blankets and bedding. These should be sent only up to Islamabad, where the armed forces are in charge of redistribution.

Eid Gifts to kids in EarthQuake affected areas

2005-10-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

NLC in collaboration with PTV are collecting Eid gift packs that will be distributed to the children in earthquake affected areas. They have setup 3 collection points in Karachi at Expo Center (Gulshan-e-Iqbal), Board Office (North Nazimabad) and Park Towers. You can contribute with toys, books and other kid stuff. Please make a packet and put a message on it, if you want to. You can drop the packets until Sunday evening.

Source: PakQuake

Manchester native helping young quake victims in Pakistan

2005-10-30T05:25:00.000-08:00

When a devastating earthquake struck northern Pakistan Oct. 8, Manchester native Susan Hirshberg put her organizational skills to work to help the victims.The Islamabad resident helped set up a center there where children stable enough to leave hospitals, but requiring medical care around the clock, can stay with a parent or other close relative.

The pending winter weather is an additional potential disaster in waiting. Already there are many cases of tetanus here and some have started dying of exposure, she said. Everyone is scrambling to help, but still not enough people have tents or proper clothing.

Hirshberg's mother, Louise, a Maine resident, is recruiting people to knit hats, mittens, scarves and sweaters for the homeless children. She can be reached at: louisehir@comcast.net.

Source: New Hampshire Union Leader

Kashmir Border Opened to Aid Quake Victims

2005-10-30T04:42:00.000-08:00

In an unprecedented move, India and Pakistan agreed earlier today to open up the heavily militarized frontier in the disputed Kashmir region to aid. LOC will be opened at 5 crossings. The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the quake zone, Rashid Khalikov, also welcomed the Pakistan-India accord, calling it "a good step in this disastrous condition. It will open an opportunity to extend humanitarian help to the affected people in the far-flung villages alongside the Line of Control.

The border openings begin Nov. 7. Relief goods can be sent in either direction and handed over to local authorities at the crossings, the joint statement said. Civilians will be allowed to cross on foot, with priority given to families divided by the border. Procedures for crossing the border would be similar to those implemented earlier this year when the historic bus service between the two capitals of disputed Kashmir, Muzaffarabad and Srinagar, was restarted. People wanting to cross would have to apply for a permit from government officials on either side to verify their identities. The five crossings would be allowed at the Pakistani-Indian border towns of Nauseri-Teethwal, Chakothi-Uri, Hajipur-Uri, Rawalakot-Poonch, and Tattapani-Mendhar. Read More ....

Source: China Post via Earthquake Exodus

Update #1- Situational Report from DMA in Pakistan

2005-10-30T04:03:00.000-08:00

Danish Muslim Aid (DMA), a Copenhagen based group of Muslims is spearheading all the activities in this regard. It was acknowledged that the dilapidated terrain might be a hurdle to any such efforts, yet DMA noted that the people in areas away from the main highways are the ones in most despair and should be reached out before the harsh winter strikes.

Regarding the ongoing activities, it was mentioned that a team of fifteen Pakistani and Danish doctors has been in the earthquake hit areas of Balakot and Muzaffarabad for the past ten days. These doctors are coordinating with different camp hospitals of Pakistan Army and different other NGOs.

Syed Abid Gilani, the local coordinator for DMA relief efforts in Pakistan also indicated that serious efforts are needed to reach areas where jeeps and mules only possible way to travel and a lot of time and effort is required to accomplish the task are the. As winter approaches, these areas will become even more difficult to reach, hence now is the time to help the devastated people. DMA has also established a tent village in Rawal Town, Islamabad which is supporting 200 people from Kashmir for the past one week. Local youth has also got actively involved in the arrangements of this tent village. Read More ....

Source: DMA

Village Data

2005-10-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

Relief inforamtion System for Earthquake in Pakistan (Rise-Pak) is a website which provides and gathers Demographic, Disaster, Access, and Assistance data and maps on all Earthquake Affected Villages to Help Coordinate Relief Efforts. Thier web address is www.risepak.com

Please visit this website for any information related to affected areas. If you have any information to submit, please feel free to fill in the form and submit it. All the relavent information is available on their website.

On another note, I have officially taken another project on my plate as of today. Me and a few friends, the ones i initially got started on this whole relief thing with, have taken ownership of a tent camp that has been setup right on Murree road. All the residents there are coming in mainly from Kashmir. It is a mess and our job will be to clean up the mess, create an organized system and hand it over to some others who can then maintain and manage it (hopefully!). This camp is located on Murree Road enroute to Barakoh. It is about 1 Kilometer short of the Barakoh entrance (main bazaar).

If anyone wants to volunteer, we need the help! contact me (+92-333-528-9108) and we can see how you can lend your services to us and at least help this small group of about 3000 people. The average increase in refugees is about 20-30 people per day. We have officially done a census and I have compiled an excel spreadsheet of all the residents. It is in its final stages and then we will commence registering people electronically instead of on paper, to ensure it does NOT get misplaced.

Free Eyesight Checkup & Spectacles for Quake Victims

2005-10-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

The following information was obtained during one of our distilling sessions of NGO Sit Reps.

Tanveer Optics has offered free eyesight checkup and spectacles for the quake victims (only). Tanveer Optics is located in Melody Market, Sector G-6, Islamabad. For more details please contact Syed Tanveer Ahmad at 2206620 and/or 2828239. Alternatively, you may send an e-mai to Tanveer Optics on tanweeroptical@cyber.net.pk

Please feel free to cross post/forward this to those involved in the relief work and hospital staff who are dealing with quake patients.

Volunteer Medical Staff Required

2005-10-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

From a mailing list via Lahore Metblogs:

If any one knows a Doctor / Paramedical staff who could join NetSol's relief team to visit the disaster site, please contact any of the following (on urgent basis).

111 44 88 00

1. Shoaib Khan Tareen Ext: 203
2. Abdul Rauf Bhatti Ext: 207
3. Muhammad Rizwan Ext: 195

Helicopters may soon be grounded in Pakistan

2005-10-28T02:25:00.000-07:00

Helicopters ferrying food and supplies to Pakistan's quake victims stranded in the Himalayas may have to be grounded in just days if donors fail to increase emergency relief aid, a U.N. official warned. Aid workers are scrambling to supply the millions of Pakistanis who have no food, water, shelter or medicine in the freezing temperatures of the Himalayas, said Robert Smith, financial expert at the United Nations' leading disaster-relief body, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Workers have resorted to rafts and pack mules to reach them, but helicopters, though costly, have proven the most useful.

"When the money runs out, the choppers stay on the ground and that's what's going to start happening in the next couple of days. One large helicopter can cost up to $6,000 ($A8000) per hour. Nobody is using helicopters for fun," he added.

Source: GEO TV

Give Them Shelter

2005-10-28T01:53:00.000-07:00

By ALEXANDER SAUNDERS
Published: October 28, 2005 in the New York Times

THE earthquake in Pakistan has left millions homeless. Umar Ghuman, Pakistan's minister of foreign investment and a longtime customer of my foundry supply company, has asked me to help find housing for as many of these people as possible before the onset of winter in the next few days.

Tents are not protection enough, and conventional prefabricated houses are neither readily available nor easy to ship. The solution, then, is to think of something less conventional, like the work shed-greenhouse combinations sold at Sam's Club and other retailers. Such sheds - small (882 cubic feet), plastic, weather-tight, insulated and portable - retail for around $2,000. Two hundred thousand of these houses - temporary homes for a million people - would cost less than $400 million.

These sheds come in sections, such that a C5-A military cargo plane could fit hundreds of units on a single flight. The manufacturer can produce nearly 20,000 units per month, but additional new machinery could be developed promptly to speed up production. Although there are many garden structures to choose from, the one that combines both shelter and greenhouse functions is manufactured in Winfield, Kan.

Large enough to house a small family, the work shed and greenhouse, if supplied with water and seed, can also provide bean and alfalfa sprouts as well as other fast- growing vegetables. It can be fitted with solar panels for hot water and electricity. The built-in workbenches are ideal bed platforms.

Once delivered to Pakistan, the house kits could be carried in sections by the region's ubiquitous minitrucks, or even by backpackers or helicopters where mountain villages are inaccessible. An experienced team can assemble the houses in minutes on firm, dry, level ground. Their construction is both rugged and flexible enough to withstand future shocks.

This is an opportunity for the United States to present to the world a product of our manufacturing ingenuity delivered by our military might. The United States needs to regain credibility with its friends throughout the region, and the people there need housing desperately.

How about it, retailers? Can you contribute your inventory to start these houses on their way immediately? How about it, United States Air Force? Will you fly your C5-A's on a humanitarian mission?

We need to do this now, not next week or next month. Winter - with mountain blizzards, powerful winds and subzero temperatures - will come to the Himalayas in days. The commercial air freight system is already shipping blankets, tents and medical supplies. That's a good start, but it is in no way adequate for housing people in winter.

Of course we must remember the needs of our own hurricane victims, as well as the tsunami victims still in makeshift camps. But the winter storms of the high mountains present a mortal threat that demands an immediate response. We have the means. So what are we waiting for?

Alexander Saunders is a founder of Clearwater, an environmental organization.

Source: New York Times

Pakistan Embraces Internet After Quake

2005-10-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

It is heartening to see the effect the internet has on the relief operations. Many NGO's are planning their operations with the help of the many websites keeping tabs on relief operations, news, maps, links to other organizations etc. It is much easier to just get on the internet and get information then wait around for official information. While the most important thing is getting the physical releif operations going, access to information makes organizing everything much easier.

There have still been too many mishaps with different relief operations converging on the same area while other areas nearby still hadn't received any help, and other teams (especially non medical ones) who were unsure what to do. There needs to be a way to provide those in the field with an updated picture. Cell phones work, but they waste time as people call back and forth, with numerous dropped calls in between. New teams going on should be able to look at, asses where they are needed, and go there - instead of waiting around. Don't take this as critiscm - the technology is not quite there to be easily able to do all this, but there is a definite need for a better way to get information across to those who need it where they need it.

Three weeks left to get tents to the homeless

2005-10-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

There are only three weeks left to get shelter to the three million homeless people in Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province.

The first snowfall is expected in mid-November and the UN WHO has warned that survivors may die of hypothermia if they still have no shelter by then.

Around 540,000 tents are needed to protect homeless survivors from the harsh Himalayan winter. Officials fear that they will be around 200,000 tents short.

source: Islamic Relief

Aid distributed by IR over the last couple of days

2005-10-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

A summary of the aid distributed by IR over the last few days. If anyone would like a full listing, village by village, contact me on muhammad [dot] ansa [at] islamic-relief [dot] org [dot] uk, and I'll send it over to you.

In Bagh, 3,500 quilts, 2,000 blankets, 176 tents, 1,000 food packs, 2,000 bottles of cooking oil, 700 kg of pulses, 779 kitchen sets and 872 mats were distributed to survivors. IR aid workers also gave out water canisters, dates, flour and plastic sheets. The aid was distributed in around 100 villages in the Bagh district over three days.

In Rawalakot, IR staff distributed over 1,000 quilts, 200 blankets, 400 tents and 1,485 food packs to survivors in around 30 villages over three days. People also received 960 kitchen sets, 300 plastic sheets and cooking oil.

In Muzaffarabad, IR staff continue to distribute aid. Survivors received 1,917 quilts, nearly 2,000 blankets, 286 tents, 259 kitchen sets, food, plastic sheets, hygiene kits and other aid items.

Source

Kala Dhaka Neglected in Relief & Rescue Activities

2005-10-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

Residents of 24 villages of Kala Dhaka, one of the worst earthquake-hit areas in the northern districts, have complained that no aid or relief could be provided to them even after the lapse of about three weeks of the catastrophe. Dil Faroz alias Pirbagaru said that members of National Assembly from the area Maulana Abdul Malik and provincial assembly Zargul Khan had promised the people that relief goods would be supplied to them through helicopters, but they could see no helicopter carrying relief goods during the 18 days.

According to Faroz, the worst affected villages in the area were Kan Paen, Kan Bala, Toram Morta, Zondi Zaidan, Beeran, Laridaro, Kanol, Char Sergai, Kozkai, Mori Kharwa, Ona, Janjoria, Sokal Paen, Sokal Bala, Pirkel, Sherkat, Kongar Sabe, Mera Khankel, Teegram, Teeli, Kwani Seerai, Meerabad, Shawa Naranj and Kalo Khan.

The first and foremost need in the area is that of tents and blankets, he said, adding that they had been spending the chilly nights in light Chaders (shawls). Only some non-governmental donor agencies approached the area and distributed old cloths, sweaters and quilts among some of the people, but no governmental organisation even the army had paid any visit to the area up till now. He feared if temporary shelter and blankets were not provided to them, many of them particularly women and children would die of cold that is gaining more and more intensity with each passing day. Read More....

Source: PakPositive

Pakistan Pays Up To $1,500 Per Hour For Relief Chopper Fuel

2005-10-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

As the United Nations urges the world to move urgently and generously for quake victims, the Pakistani government is paying a high price for fuel ranging from 50,000 to 90,000 Pakistani rupees (about 830 - 1500 US dollars) per hour for different helicopters engaged in relief operations, Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director-general Major General Shaukat Sultan told the Pakistani daily Dawn. There are almost 90 helicopters engaged in relief operations and each one is flying over eight hours a day, he said. On average, the 90 helicopters consume 5,582,400 litres of fuel in a single day. Read More ....

Source: AKI

Thousands trapped in Pakistani tourist resort

2005-10-27T06:01:00.000-07:00

Mohammad Bashir Zaman, a guide, is among thousands of people still trapped in the popular Pakistani tourist resort of Naran, following the devastating regional earthquake of 8 October. Whereas only two or three lives were lost in the Naran area - one of the most popular destinations in the Kaghan valley - following the quake most local people have been trapped in the area by landslides on roads, unable to travel southwards and now desperately short of food.

"The situation here is very bad. Many buildings are damaged, including the resort run by the PTDC [Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation] by the riverside, and we quite literally have no food supplies," said Zaman, speaking over the telephone.

He also reported that the first snows of winter had already fallen in the area, located 10,500ft [do we prefer metres rather than feet?] above sea level and some 280 km north of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

"Conditions now are really bad here. There has been no relief dropped by helicopter or provided through any other means. I can't understand why aid is not being dropped by chopper. Perhaps attention has not been given because the number of deaths here is very small," maintained Zaman. He added that because many buildings were damaged, people preferred not to venture into them, despite the freezing weather. Read More ....

Source: IRIN

Pakistan opens quake relief centers along LoC

2005-10-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

Pakistan has opened earthquake relief centers along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir to improve the flow of aid and movement of people affected by the disaster, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Thursday in Moscow.

"We have as of last night opened relief centers on various proposed points of movement across the Line of Control," Aziz told reporters as he prepared to return to Islamabad after attending a meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Council in Moscow.

Aziz said there were people on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) who wanted to visit others and take part in efforts to provide relief to victims of the October 8 earthquake. "This will be aid going in both directions. It's not a one-way traffic," he said.

"Wherever these points open there will be relief camps for people to cross over from held Kashmir to get assistance". Indian government officials were to meet with Pakistani officials in Islamabad on Friday "to sort out the modalities" of the Kashmir border crossing points, Aziz said.

Source: The News

Advise on tents

2005-10-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

Please keep in mind the requirements for tents if you are purchasing. No point in wasting time and money buying tents that do not serve the purpose of winter protection (i.e. cold, snow, rain)

-The larger the better (typically 4x4 metres)
-Thick cloth / Parachute
-Insulated paneling
-Ground layer (polyprop)
-Door flaps -
-Material that is water and fireproof is preferable

Anyone else got suggestions, feel free to add.

Pregnant Women In Quake Zone At Risk

2005-10-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

In addition to other problems, pregnant women who survived the South Asian earthwuake are now at risk for miscarriages, premature labor and death.Amid all the misery plaguing survivors of the South Asian earthquake comes another concern. Health officials worry that the quake may have triggered a number of miscarriages and premature labor among the estimated 40,000 pregnant women living in the quake zone.

That puts an extra layer of demands on Pakistan's health care system, which many experts consider barely adequate in the best of times. The earthquake not only killed at least 79,000 people, it also destroyed or seriously damaged a number of medical clinics and hospitals in northwestern Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. A doctor volunteering at the only hospital still standing in one town says six of the 30 deliveries performed in the last ten days were stillborn, while there have also been at least ten miscarriages since the quake hit.

Source: WFMY News 2

Free Call Center for Coordinating Medical Professionals

2005-10-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

ICNA Relief has established a free Call Center for Medical Professionals working in the field. It will coordinate the physicians and teams for Earthquake Relief. The call center relays the messages and sets up conference calls. The call center can be reached from inside Pakistan at 021-432-4064 and from the US by a toll free number 1-800-953-1269. At least 5 coordinators will be standing by 24/7 for all calls.

Source: ICNA Relief

In devastated Uri, people try to start life again

2005-10-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Those who are dead will be remembered and those who survived in this quake want to start their life again. This is now the general feeling in this quake hit area. People want to restore their routine work and most of the people can be seen resuming their work also.

The main challenges which authorities face in this area is immediate restoration of derailed water pipelines, reopening of schools and the stay of skilled and unskilled manpower in this area to guide and help the quake hit people to start their life again. Besides the carcass disposal is demanding more attention so that the chances of epidemic can be prevented.

"Neither we have any drinking water nor our children have any books and besides that we fear more deaths due to the epidemic in this area," said Mohammad Shareef of Dachi.

The government girl's higher secondary school, which was reopened Tuesday, witnessed the presence of fifty students but nobody had any books. The school will work in tin sheds and a nearby tent will serve the purpose of principle's office.

"We do not need any clothes but what we need is shelter. Give us hardware, timber and tin we will construct some rooms ourselves," asked Qurban Ali resident of Dullanja.

Source: Kashar

Islamabad on Five Big Fault Lines

2005-10-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Islamabad is situated on five major fault lines, one of which is exactly underneath the Faisal Mosque, a top official said yesterday. Allah Bakhsh Kosar, the director of the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP), and MZ Babar, a GSP geo-physicist, said it could not be determined when these fault lines will cause another earthquake. The officials said that an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.7 was reported a few days ago, and had its epicentre near Shahzad Town. They said that the fault lines under Islamabad were around 30mn years old.

“The earthquakes have to come sooner or later. The important thing is how well we are prepared to face them,” they said, adding that the entire country, except the planes of Punjab, was tectonically fractured. They said that the ancient civilisation of Taxila might also have perished from a severe earthquake. A major 2km fault line was situated under Havellian, they said.

The GSP officials said that when the government had planned to declare Islamabad the federal capital, its seismic zoning was conducted. Geologists had warned the then government that Islamabad was prone to high intensity earthquakes because it was situated in an active earthquake zone. The officials said that it was not advisable to construct high-rise buildings in Islamabad. They said that no building structure higher than two stories should be allowed in the federal capital, as the earth’s crust in Islamabad could not sustain the weight of high-rise buildings.

Source: Internews via Gulf Times

FRC Appeals for Medical Equipment

2005-10-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

The Federal Relief Commission has appealed to philanthropists to donate medical equipment for the treatment of quake-affected victims.

The articles urgently required are reconstruction plates, interlocking nails, DCP Plates, DHS plates, ext fixators, AO fixators, five Steinman pins, recon nails, screws, plates and k-wiring.

Donors can contact Maj Gen Abdul Qadir on 0300-9555660, or Lt Col Ilyas on 0333-5639623.

Source: Daily Times

Earthquake death toll rises to 54,000: Sherpao

2005-10-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

The death toll from the October 8 massive earthquake has increased to 54,000 and is likely to rise, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said here Wednesday. He told reporters that 77,000 people were injured in the earthquake that ravaged an area spread over 21,000 square kilometre, leaving millions homeless. Tents are a priority item to provide shelter to all quake affected people before extreme winter sets in, he said.

"The government is striving to shelter quake survivors in tent villages, but many people are not ready to leave their areas." he said.

Sherpao said every effort was being made to bridge the gap between demand and supply of tents. The Minister said that relief operations were continuing in full swing in the affected areas. He urged people staying near their devatasted homes at high altitudes to come down so that they could be provided with adequate shelter, medical help and items of daily use.

Source: APP

URGENT: Emergency/Broadcast Radio for Quake Survivors Needed

2005-10-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Internews has already dispatched a radio production unit with a team of 12 reporters to produce programmes highlighting the immediate needs for the people in quake-hit areas in the local languages. The programmes are being aired through a private FM station in Abbottabad city in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), with a signal that can reach almost all of the tremor-hit zone of northern Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

The major needs for broadcast/media infrastructure, production & training support are as follows:

- transmitters, antennas, mobile radio studios, and generators
- minidisk recorders, portable computers, satellite phones, transportation, and technical support
- field & mobile production equipment

If you are able to assist with this need or if you know someone who can help out with getting these emergency radio sets please contact Adnan Rehmat at +92(300) 850 6354 or contact the Internews Office in Pakistan at +92(51) 287 7984. Alternatively you may send an email to Adnan or Ivan Sigal.

Source: Global Voices

Urgent need for emergency radio for quake survivors

2005-10-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Internews, a leading international media development organisation, has called for immediate action to improve the information flow to victims of the huge earthquake which hit Pakistan on 8 October, leaving over 53,000 dead and up to 3 million homeless. Local media in the disaster zone has been badly affected, with public and commercial radio broadcast stations and newspaper printing and distribution facilities largely destroyed.

Internews has already dispatched a radio production unit with a team of 12 reporters to produce programmes highlighting the immediate needs for the people in quake-hit areas in the local languages. The programmes are being aired through a private FM station in Abbottabad city in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), with a signal that can reach almost all of the tremor-hit zone of northern Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

If you are able to assist with this need or if you know someone who can help out with getting these emergency radios please contact Adnan Rehmat at +92(300) 850 6354 or send an email to Ivan Sigal sigal[at]internews.org

New aftershocks jolt Pakistan quake-hit territories

2005-10-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

Four aftershocks measuring up to 5.2 on the Richter scale shook northern Pakistan early Wednesday, sparking fears of more landslides after the devastating October 8 earthquake, an official said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the tremors, which came hours before a major United Nations quake donors conference in Geneva.

The heaviest aftershock, with a magnitude of 5.2, came at 6:43 am and there were three weaker tremors between 5:00 am and 9:00 am, Qamaruz Zaman, chief of the country's seismological department, told a news agency. Witnesses said the biggest shock woke people from their sleep in the capital Islamabad and the devastated city of Muzaffarabad.

"An aftershock with a magnitude of more than five can cause landslides in the hilly terrain," Zaman said.

Source: The News

ESRI Provides Emergency Response Services to Pakistan Following Earthquake

2005-10-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

In response to the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred October 8, in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, ESRI is providing a number of geographic information system (GIS) support services designed to assist responding agencies and victims.

To request emergency software, data/imagery, or services/consulting assistance, complete and submit the Request Emergency Assistance form located at the ESRI Earthquake Response page (http://www.esri.com/earthquakehelp). All requests for assistance should be justified and show direct support for the disaster. Contact the Disaster Help Coordination team for general request inquiries via e-mail - Disaster_help[at]esri.com and include the Assist ID number and agency name in the e-mail subject line.

In addition, ESRI is working closely with URISA's GISCorps, a nonprofit organization, to coordinate short-term, volunteer-based GIS services to the affected area. GIS professionals who would like to volunteer time and services should complete the online application on URISA's GISCorps Web site. Agencies and organizations assisting in relief efforts that are searching for volunteers with GIS expertise can e-mail the GISCorps committee members at info[at]urisa.org for a list of qualified applicants.

Source: Directions Magazine

South Asia: Blog Quake Day

2005-10-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

Over the last year blogs have become instrumental in gathering support for causes and highlighting issues that have been forgotten by the Main Stream Media. Sepia Mutiny made a crucial statement - that there was no excuse to not give, when those with so little were giving so much.

So, while Kofi Annan slams countries for only committing to about a tenth of what quake victims need, victims of the tsunami—who are still suffering from their own tragedy which stole 200,000 lives all over Asia— have donated to local quake relief efforts. Maybe the world is suffering from “disaster fatigue”.

Responding to this call - DesiPundit announced Blog Quake Day on 26 Oct 2005. Calling to all bloggers worldwide to exericse their power

We request each of you to make a small post about the earthquake, and direct your readers to a suitable avenue for donating to the relief efforts… Every single dollar contributed, multiplied by the vast numbers of bloggers, will go a long way in helping these people rebuild their lives.

Blogs the globe over have responded to this call. Instapundit echoed the thought. Chapati Mystery has T-shirts whose sales proceeds will go for Earthquake relief. An appeal to podcasters. Other posts on Blog Quake Day - Sepia Mutiny, De Growchy Owl, Truth and Beauty, Veiled4Allah, Travel tales from India.

(Thanks to Neha over at Global Voices for the blog posting above)

Bali Memorial Trust

2005-10-26T02:24:00.000-07:00

My dad's ngo is also working with the Bali Memorial Trust group because one of the heads, Dr. Abid Malik, is a close friend and a member of Friends of P.I.M.S. (dads ngo). We are trying to get volunteers together to help with all kinds of things.

Feel free to call me for any information on that. +92-333-528-9108

You know, honestly the thing these kids need most is some attention, some real value added attention. Many of them have suffered trauma we may never experience in our entire lives and are so disassociated from everything they know to be safe.

Originally, this was just a comment, but I think it deserves a post status.

I did a tour of the hospital with my entire group the other day. My dad wanted to meet us all and introduce them to Dr. Abid and see what we can do to get involved.

You know, I think I might be trying to handle too many things at once. God help me, God help us all!!!
SHAKETHEQUAKE!

More Money, More Solutions!

2005-10-26T02:19:00.000-07:00

With the help of an independent group of students here from Dubai, I will be helping organize a series of fundraising concerts at Alhambra III (located in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore). We are looking to raise as much money as possible so our output will be at a minimum and our input at max. We would appreciate any help with publicity, sponsorship and any other assistance.

If anyone is able to and is interested in helping, please call me @ +92-333-528-9108 or Arsalan @ +92-321-405-0432 for more information.

Just like the rugby match, we hope that this will be a success, an even bigger one if possible, considering the cause. Many people trust us with the intentions of making sure the money and awareness is put to good use. We hope that you too can confide in us as we have many aspirations for the unfortunate victims of this travesty.

Let’s SHAKETHEQUAKE!

Kids Need Help in Islambad

2005-10-26T00:09:00.000-07:00

Bali Memorial Trust along with Pakistan Dental Association has set up a camp hospital in Sports Complex, Islamabad. The patients, mostly children are brought to this field hospital for Post Operative Care. These kids are homeless, and shocked. We are doing everything we can to provide medical attention and relief for these patients. Please open your hearts to support these kids by supporting this effort in anyway possible... Read the list

Kinds of donation preferably required:

1. Cash.
2. Pillows.
3. Cooked food. (Lunch costs between 4000-5000 Rs, Dinner and Iftar costs 10,500/- Rs.)
4. Medicines (Valosef 500mg and 250mg injections. Dicloron injections).
5. Plaster of paris for casting broken limbs.
6. Surgical dressing material.
7. Pyodine.
8. Mouth wash.
9. Garbage bags.
10. Cartoon CD's for kids.
11. Adult pampers (medium & large sizes)

Pakistan Thanks you for all your help

Dr. Haroon Shahid Qazi
0300-5001774
Clinical Secretary,
Pakistan Dental Association (Federal Zone)
haroon77(@)cyber.net.pk

Source: Karachi Metblogs