Pakistan Earthquake 2005

Covering the earthquake, the damage and the relief work in Pakistan.

Archive for December, 2005

Turkish Lady Keeps Children of Pakistan Warm

Ilknur Ozmeng, a lady director of secretariat who retired from the Court of Appeals kept herself busy in hand knitting since she heard the sad news of devastating earthquake in Pakistan and managed to knit a big hand bag full of pullovers, sweaters and gloves.

Last week she visited the Pakistan Embassy at Ankara and handed over these hand knitted warm garments to Charge d’ Affairs (CDA) Amjad Majeed Abbasi. This untiring effort of Ms. Ilknur will go a longway in protecting many children from extreme cold and keeping them warm and cosy.  Read more... (247 words, estimated 59 secs reading time)

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Islamabad hospital receives first orthopaedic bed from Brad Pitt and UNHCR

Dr. Syed Fazle Hadi, Executive Director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, received the first of 40 beds from UNHCR’s Representative in Pakistan, Guenet Guebre-Christos. Worth over US$100,000 in total, the donation was made through UNHCR by Brad Pitt when he visited Pakistan in late November with the agency’s Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie.

“We are grateful to our donor, Mr. Brad Pitt, for supporting the relief effort for the earthquake-affected people of Pakistan,” said Guebre-Christos. “This donation will bring comfort to the injured and facilitate the work of the dedicated hospital staff of PIMS.”  Read more... (476 words, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)

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

To remember the earthquake and tsunami of 26th December, 2004, WorldWideHelp group has delcared the week from 26th December to 1st January as Disaster Remembrance Week.

Here is what they suggest:

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.  Read more... (105 words, 2 images, estimated 25 secs reading time)

Please link back to this page to help pass the word. You can use the images above. For more images and links please visit World Wide Help: Linking to Disaster Rememberence Week

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Using Snow to Make Emergency Housing

THE SNOW CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND–USE IT TO MAKE YOUR OWN EMERGENCY HOUSING. DON’T RISK PNUEMONIA!

http://www.pakquake.com/relief-work/igloos-can-save-lives/

Please see the above Internet reference of mine (please print and translate) about traditional igloos of packed snow to make temporary housing. An igloo is a traditional snow dome made by traditional arctic tribal peoples, i.e. Eskimos and Inuits.

With a tiny flame, it provides a warm, snug inside temperature of from 0-20’s C. or from 33 degrees F. to upper fifties. It can be adapted to combine several 11-foot domes to make a community structure for 15-20 people.  Read more... (553 words, estimated 2:13 mins reading time)

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Help Required in Daola, Abbottabad

I am mukhtiar Ahmed from village chahnagli post office Dalola district abbottabad.

I want to inform you that in my village, 70 homes are damaged and 20 were completely demolished and 11 peoples were died . Till now only (Ali Asghar Foundation ) came and they provided some sheets for shelter home to few villager, but these are not enough to accommodate the big families. And some people still waiting for them but they donot come back. So I request you please come to my village and see the condition of peoples by your eyes.  Read more... (125 words, estimated 30 secs reading time)

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Fears for Dwindling Forests in Pakistani Quake Zone

The Oct. 8 earthquake that flattened much of northern Pakistan has taught a lesson to mountain villagers that conservationists had long failed to instill: the importance of their forests.

Despite the harsh lesson, conservationists and government officials are worried that necessity will drive survivors to hack down trees to save themselves from the winter.

“Honestly speaking, I’m both surprised and pleased to see that communities have realized the importance of vegetation after they’ve seen for themselves what we had long failed to convince them of,” said Yousaf Qureshi, head of the wildlife department in Pakistani Kashmir.  Read more... (751 words, estimated 3:00 mins reading time)

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Rs 15,956m compensation paid among quake affectees

A compensation of rupees 15,956 million has so far been paid in earthquake hit areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP to as many as 24516 seriously injured persons, 431916 owners of damaged houses and 46219 next of kins, ISPR said on Friday.

Statistics compiled by ISPR reveals that rupees 8652 million have been paid in Azad Kashmir and 7303 million were paid to affected people in NWFP.  Read more... (500 words, estimated 2:00 mins reading time)

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Pakistan Army wins high praise for its quake work

The Pakistan Army has won high praise for its earthquake relief and rehabilitation work from a freelance journalist who spent several days in the devastated areas of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan…. reports Khalid Hasan

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, writing in the online publication, ‘Open Democracy’ this week, says, “Before coming to the region, I had read reports that the Pakistan Army was not doing enough to help the people affected by the earthquake. But once I got there, I understood the gravity of the situation. The Pakistan Army has a mammoth task ahead of them and they are trying their best to cope with the situation. No third world country is equipped to handle a disaster of this magnitude. I see Pakistan Army helicopters, trucks, and personnel carrying supplies, setting up camps and rebuilding broken roads and bridges. They work around the clock, but there is always something left to do at the end of the day. More demands and more expectations.”  Read more... (178 words, estimated 43 secs reading time)

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