Pakistan Earthquake 2005

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

Archive for January, 2006

Blog posts from Mansehra and Balakot

Following are excerpts from blog post on Loose Canon made an american engaged in relief and support activites for earthquake victims in Pakistan.

Pakistanis drink a lot of tea. They call it “chai.” They make it by boiling a few cups of milk, adding a few cups of water to the milk when it boils, a few tablespoons of finely ground black tea, a tablespoon (or four) of sugar – and voila. Chai. Sometimes you get tea that’s so sweet you start dancing. But it’s good. Man, it’s good. If you ever visit Pakistan, rest assured you will be offered tea like this at virtually every place you stop. I never quite figured out how they can afford to be so giving.  Read more... (507 words, estimated 2:02 mins reading time)

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Radio Hotline providing assistance to quake survivors

In a bid to provide extra support for quake survivors during the inclement weather, International Organization of Migrants has enlisted 100 volunteers to staff Rapid Response Teams in Muzaffarabad to answer calls for urgent assistance.

Through round-the-clock announcements on Power99 FM and Azad Kashmir Radio, IOM received more than 250 ‘hotline’ emergency calls on Sunday alone in Muzaffarabad. The 10 teams deployed erected collapsed tents, provided 700 tarpaulins to cover the tents and replaced wet blankets, according to a press release.  Read more... (576 words, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)

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Landslides close vital roads in quake zone

Heavy snowfall coupled with uninterrupted rain kept the quake relief air operations grounded while most vital roads too were rendered unusable either due to massive landsliding or poor visibility.

The United Nations officials, however, claimed that the staff on ground in the quake zone kept up it humanitarian duties with greater zeal and commitment. UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan Jan Vandemoortele confirmed to The News on telephone: “No helicopters flew Tuesday due to deteriorating weather situation but our staff in the quake zone continued to work hard in providing the much needed services.”  Read more... (282 words, estimated 1:08 mins reading time)

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Senator Kerry Tours Quake-Hit Pakistan

Former U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry toured earthquake-devastated parts of northern Pakistan on Saturday, distributing school uniforms and meeting local leaders at a tent village funded partly by both the United States and communist Cuba.

The visit came amid warnings that heavy snow would blanket the quake zone over the next four to five days, possibly triggering avalanches along the jagged peaks and promising more misery for the 3.5 million people left homeless by the Oct. 8 quake.

“The relief operations will be affected badly,” the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.  Read more... (576 words, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)

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Artists paint hope for earthquake victims

Water and oil painters from Lahore have donated paintings worth Rs 0.9 million for the October 8 earthquake victims and more art shows have been planned to assist the victims, one of which will be held at the Lahore Fort.

In addition to donating the Rs 0.9 million, the painters are holding more exhibitions to send aid to the affected areas. The Punjab Archeology Department (PAD) is holding a paintings exhibition, water and oil mediums, at the Lahore Fort in collaboration with leading painters of the city. PAD Director General Oriya Jan Maqbool told Daily Times on Saturday that the theme of the exhibition would be ‘Historical Monuments’, but the dates for the exhibition had not yet been finalised. The exhibition could be held in the second week of February, he said, adding that the exhibition would also be part of an awareness campaign to educate people about historical monuments.  Read more... (405 words, 1 image, estimated 1:37 mins reading time)

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Cold winds, food lines, prayers: A day in the life of quake survivors

Cold winds sweep through tents, where rains soak the ground and children cough. Days are passed by waiting in lines for meals, feeding babies or perhaps taking a few swings with a cricket bat.

Three months after an earthquake in Kashmir, thousands of survivors are eking out an existence in tent camps, waiting out the harsh winter before returning to what remains of their mountain homes.

Muhammad Arshad Mughal, 22, lives with six relatives in a white 7-by-10 foot tent. The size of a bathroom in their wrecked three-story family home at a tent village in Muzaffarabad, the regional capital.  Read more... (946 words, estimated 3:47 mins reading time)

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Quake survivors shiver in flimsy tents as winter bites in northern Pakistan

Shivering with cold and beating snow off their fragile tents with sticks, earthquake survivors struggled to keep their children warm as the bitter winter hit Kashmir, grounding helicopter aid flights and blocking roads for the second straight day.

Dozens of tents, including ones housing a school and a mosque, collapsed under the weight of 25 centimetres of snow that blanketed the village of Mira Tanolian, about five kilometres south of Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan’s portion of the disputed Himalayan region.  Read more... (528 words, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)

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UN suspends operations in two quake-hit areas

The United Nations has notified that it had suspended aid missions to two areas in Pakistan quake-hit Kashmir region after dozens of survivors stormed two UN helicopters and forced an airlift out of the devastated area.

Also on Saturday, Pakistan said it has prepared “contingency” relief camps – stocked with food – to cope with a fresh wave of refugees if they decide to flee the chilling winter. The Pakistan Meteorological Department, meanwhile, warned of more snowfall over the next 72 hours, following days of heavy storms that dumped up to 3 metres of snow in some areas of Kashmir and northwestern Pakistan, forcing the suspension of helicopter flights and aid deliveries.  Read more... (210 words, estimated 50 secs reading time)

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