Pakistan Earthquake 2005

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

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Archive for March, 2006

Return of quake survivors from tent villages begins

The Earthquake-affected people have started returning to their native areas from tent villages run by government and non-governmental organisations in different parts of the five affected districts of the NWFP.

Reports reaching from the quake-affected areas say people in camps at various localities were seen packing their belongings and heading towards their native villages in line with the NWFP government’s decision of closing all camps by March 31. The repatriation would be completed in three phases.

Over a hundred families, according to reports, left for their villages located on the hilltops on the first day of starting the process from a government camp in main Battagram.

Mobile banks to function in quake-hit areas

The ministry of finance and commercial banks have agreed that mobile bank teams will operate in the designated earthquake affected areas so that affectees are ensured speedy disbursement of money, with which they can start reconstruction efforts.

No fee or charge would be realized from affectees for opening and operating accounts. The condition of maintaining minimum balance will also not apply to the accounts of earthquake affectees in AJK and the NWFP.

Zaller returning to Pakistan - house plans included

Greg Zaller is returning to Pakistan Saturday to continue his efforts to help house 2 million rendered homeless by an October earthquake.

Zaller, 54, of Nevada City, initially went to Pakistan in November after passing up his annual vacation for a chance to help others. Zaller went with a 12-by-12 wood frame and sheet-metal home design to help Pakistanis get out of tents.

Upon his return, a small team of volunteers rallied to help Zaller, and they have found a new home design using straw bales. About 100 of the original homes have been built and the original wood design is still being used in remote mountain areas pummeled by the quake. But that design called for long hauls of material and a mill on site to construct the homes.

Louisville Doctor touched by Earthquake

Adeel Haq, a Pakistani-American doctor living in Louisville, immediately hopped a plane to become part of the first medical team deployed to a makeshift tent village near Battagram by the emergency-aid group Relief International.

“I had seen stuff on TV but didn’t realize the destruction was so widespread,” said Haq, 29, who is a third-year resident at University of Louisville Hospital. “There was a sense of desperation that I’ve never seen before in my life.”

Scheme launched for rehabilitation of disabled earthquake victims

A group of expatriate Pakistanis, comprising professionals settled in the UK in coordination with their Pakistani counterparts, have embarked upon an ambitious scheme for rehabilitation of disabled earthquake victims that shook the country in October last.

Zafar Khan of Limbless Association - UK addressing a press conference here on Monday, said like minded professionals from both United Kingdom and Pakistan have initiated a scheme to implant Modular Artificial Limbs among victims in need of this support.

“We have already established three centers at Muzzaffarabad, Mansehra and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences - Islamabad, after extensive discussion with the Federal Health Minister, Naseer Khan and other senior officials of the health department,” he said.