More Earthquake updates

Mike, Project leader in Lahore 13 October 2005

There is confusion among some friends as to how I'm involved in the effort from Lahore when the affected area is in Islamabad and up north. My responsibility is to resource the relief effort, as much as possible, from Lahore aimed primarily at two Christian hospitals in the north that are in the disaster struck area. This is the immediate work I am involved in. The long term hope is to be engaged for years to come in Kashmir and northern Pakistan with a Kingdom perspective.

As you pray for our nation please pray against the spirit of greed and turning a quick buck that has gripped suppliers of goods and transport services. Prices for items like tents, blankets, medical supplies and even essential eatables have risen sharply and transportation has skyrocketed. Trucks are not available and the few that are ask for exorbitant prices. We are having to pay three times the normal and it hurts in more than one way. Unfortunately, such is human nature but as you pray I am sure God will make it possible for us to meet with men of peace who will be of assistance to us.
Tomorrow night (Friday) we will receive and send our first shipment of tents to one of the Christian hospitals up north for distribution to the victims. Our distribution is non-sectarian and almost all of those being helped are Muslims. Please pray for the shipment to arrive at the hospital safely and for effective distribution to take place.

Yvonne, English woman in Peshawar Friday, October 14, 2005

There is still a big need for more helicopters and  good weather. The Gov estimates 2 million homeless and 1 million in urgent need of help. All around Peshawar are "camps" set up by different organisations to collect goods - blankets, food, clothes etc - and money, it is clear that there is a great desire by everyone at every level to do something to help. One of my colleagues was telling us this morning how his wife said she did not want to watch any more news about the earthquake on the television - but then she donated for the victims two new pieces of good cloth that he knew she really liked and was planning to make into suits for herself. (And she will need new clothes for the end of Ramazan.) I think this grassroots feeling, among people who don't have much surplus themselves, is very strong.
I know of a couple of organisations who have sent their own vehicles in with some aid and to check on colleagues in the affected area. Several NGOs here are making surveys and putting together plans. Unfortunately many mountain roads that had been cleared of landslides became clogged with large lorries which are too heavy for the terrain, rented privately to send aid in. The church of some of my local colleagues is collecting goods and money but they are waiting until next week to check what the needs are in an area where little help is being sent. They were aiming to collect mainly from the chr community and were surprised how many from the majority also gave to them - maybe they are more respected locally than they realise.

Yvonne in Peshawar Sunday, October 16, 2005

The BBC now reports 38,000 dead and still rising, 60,000 injured, many of whom are exposed to the elements, with more rain this weekend grounding relief flights (it even rained heavily down here), and an estimate of 3.5 million homeless. It is hard not to feel very helpless. I just read about the loss of one helicopter and its crew because of the bad weather.
At the meeting this morning there was some news of what some Peshawar-based int'al NGOs are doing. 2 NGOs are working together through Bach C. Hospital, probably to get more aid to Garri Hajibullah hospital. The meeting took up a special collection for Bach. Another organisation was talking about Habitat for Humanity who are working on longer term plans for rebuilding homes. They are asking for SHORT TERM VOLUNTEERS (3 - 6 months?) with some knowledge of the culture and preferably some language, people who have been here previously - probably men - to help in this work.

I believe the Government is also planning to set up IDP camps for the homeless - including some in this area. They are desperate for tents, blankets etc. There are no tents left in Pakistan, and the Govt has lifted the import tax on them. They are appealing for tents to be donated and sent to Dubai where PIA would collect them.

Ahmad in Kabul Afghanistan Sun Oct 16

Yes, the earthquake changed things so dramatically in such a short time, which is unbelievable - so much loss and damage.... Some people here believe it is the cost of sin, but I do not know what is the truth from this point of view.  What will be your comment?  I just read that the infiltration still continue and has not stopped despite all this.... Anyway, " Mullah Nasruddin was asked, what is doomsday? He replied there are two doomsdays, small and big.... When my wife dies, it is a small one and when I die, it will be a big one” Is Mullah N. right?!

Update from CMS London 17th Oct

We are able to support medical relief work and have people associated with CMS in the area. MP Nigel has been seconded to Tearfund in Islamabad to coordinate relief work into Bagh and Dr. Ruth is returning to Bach Christian Hospital for three months. If anyone would like to donate through CMS the money can bee used to support these two people and the work they are associated with and also Kunhar Christian Hospital which is quite close to the epicentre. There will be plenty of after care needed and Church World Services Pakistan/Islamabad are already drawing up a trauma counselling programme. There will be many opportunities to explain why Christians are helping in the months to come that CMS can help to support.

Pakistan Earthquake Oct 2005

I have been watching pictures of the terrible destruction as a result of the earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. An estimated 40,000 have been killed across Kashmir, Pakistan and India in the early hours of Saturday, Thousands more have been left homeless and injured, and the numbers are rising.
It is very sobering indeed to think that things can change so dramatically in such a short time. A matter of mere minutes. So many killed, so many injured, so many lives changed.


I have lived in Pakistan for many years - no-one I know personally was directly affected (as far as I am aware) - but the earthquake was still a great shock.

I have already received many emails, about the situation, Here is a selection of them - brief quotes that may help you get a human feel for what people are going through, even those not in close proximity to the epi-centre itself.

Yvonne an English woman in Peshawar (Sun 9 Oct):

"It is very odd to have the ground beneath you come alive. I was at home when it happened, working on my laptop. When it became clear that it wasn't just a large lorry going past, I thought I'd better go outside, and as I was already holding my laptop I thought I might as well keep hold of it. So I just closed the lid and went outside, and then I found myself sitting on my lawn, which was moving like a raft on water, dressed for the temperature rather than for the culture, barefoot, and thinking that if my house collapsed, at least I would have the clothes on the washing line.
My water tank started overflowing because the water was moving in it, and my metal gate was rattling in its frame, and the grass I was sitting on stayed fluid for a long time - well it seemed like a long time but I suppose it was ten minutes. I'd been listening to the soundtrack of the BBC's "Wives & Daughters" while working, and the DVD carried on when I closed the laptop lid - so the company of Mrs Gaskell's characters provided a surreal touch.
After that there have been countless small tremors, some as I write this. The aftershocks are more disturbing mentally than physically, and must be very frightening for those in worse affected places."

Dr Haroon working in Kunar (Mon 10 Oct)

"The first assigment of the damage has been reassessed and there has been some severe damage to the buildings. There are huge cracks in the walls of the hospital, the nursing hostel and other appartments ...... We have spent the last two days out in the open...cooking and sleeping and everything outside. Last night at 2:30am some people arrived with tents and other aid so we are going to go out today and hand out the tents to the people. So many people have lost their houses so its going to be a huge project. We would welcome any donations, anything. These people didn't have much to begin with and now they literally have nothing. The medical staff continue to work all day helping out the survivors."

Aamir running a project in Islamabad (Mon 10 Oct)

"The death toll is feared to cross 40,000 figure, with most of the victims in AJK and NWFP. The slums in Islamabad which house around 30,000 Christians remained immune, and there is no incident of collapsed houses although many of these houses are non-concrete, made of mud and wooden planks.
One girl from these slums is confirmed dead in Margalla Towers, where she used to work as a domestic worker. There is news spread of another 10 to 12 Christian ladies missing in debris of Margalla Tower, these ladies belonged to two Christian communities. The schools in Rawalpindi and Islamabad will remain closed for three days as slight tremors are still coming at a regular frequency............The Christian Community in Abbottabad has suffered financial losses with houses partially damaged, thankfully no loss of life has been heard. However people being traumatized and fearful to stay insides have setup tents in open spaces and are there since the first shock. So far they have not received any kind of assistance from Govt. or private departments and their stocks of food are quickly diminishing."

Insar, a youth worker in Peshawar (Mon 10 Oct)

"The youth of the Diocese of Peshawar is busy in collecting warm cloths and medicines for the affected people, as we are planning to visit to affected areas to participate in the relief work. For this purpose, we need your prayer support. The Diocese of Peshawar (the affected area of NWFP come under the jurisdiction of Peshawar Diocese) is active to support the relief work. We were in the All Saints' church Peshawar today and prayed for the affected people and areas. Bishop Mano Rumalshah, the Bishop of Peshawar announced a Special prayer service in the St. John's Cathedral Peshawar on Wednesday at 5:30 pm, in which beside the Christians, our Muslim friends will also participate for praying for our affected brothers and sisters. Bishop Mano also announced to collect a fund for the relief of those people, the Christians are contributing in that fund."