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SPICMA Rushes to the Aid of Victims Affected by The
Kashmir Earthquake
Over 73,000 DEAD. 100,000 INJURED 3.5 MILLION HOMELESS
Early on 9th October 2005 we received news of the dreadful
earthquake in the Kashmir region of Pakistan. As the Mill Hill Missionaries
were instant sources of information in the area we appealed immediately on
sound knowledge.
The Earthquake was the worst to hit Pakistan in recent history. Evidently,
the effects were felt throughout the Azad Jammu and Kashmir provinces, North
West Frontier Province, Northern Territories and Northern Punjab and even as
far away as Eastern Afghanistan.
 Within literally days we had sent the first international transfer of money
to Mill Hill Missionaries both in India and Pakistan. However, it soon
became apparent that their needs were fulfilled and the Mill Hill Superior
in Pakistan asked us to assist Caritas Pakistan, who had become the focus of
Catholic Action because of the enormous scale of the disaster. We
immediately sent to Caritas Pakistan £5,000 on the 15th October 2005 and up
to 6th January 2006 our total stands at £96,260.
How were we able to send so much money? Your generosity!
Since our last transfer in January more funds have trickled in and at
present we are awaiting news from Mill Hill Missionaries in that area as to
any further needs, before we transfer the balance of the funds (£8,740) that
we received this year to Caritas Pakistan for their redevelopment programme.
As normal with SPICMA emergency appeals, all donations that we received were
sent to Pakistan intact.
How is the money being used in Pakistan? Immediate Emergency Relief. Apart
from food and medical care, your money helped to provide:
7421 Winterised Tents, 4800 stoves, 810
Paraffin Cookers, 20,343 Quilts, 24,879 Blankets, 14,520 Tarpaulins plus
Clothes, flooring foam, lanterns, jerry cans and kitchen equipment.
Looking Forward
In the areas that Caritas is concentrating its efforts - namely Boi, Dilola,
Noora Sei, Therian, Balakot - they are going to reconstruct the basic health
infrastructure which will include:
A hospital, clinic and dispensary in Boi, a clinic
in Dilola, a clinic in Noora Seri, a clinic, dispensary and ambulatory in
Therian, a clinic, dispensary and ambulatory in Balakot.
This will complement the existing emergency mobile medical services that
they have been providing and which will continue until the reconstructed
units are completed and able to take over the sustainable delivery of
Healthcare.
A programme is also to be undertaken to contribute to the recovery of
livelihood programmes in the same areas, training, provision of seeds and
fertilizer, plus assistance to rural infrastructure with cash-for-work
projects.
Following a decision by The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
Authority - a department of the Pakistan government aid agencies like
Caritas will not be allowed to perform any construction work directly, but
only to provide training and technical assistance to the earthquake affected
families. It will be up to the families to buy materials and rebuild their
houses, relying on government compensation grants of 175,000 Pakistani
Rupees (approximately £1,600) per house to fund this. Caritas hopes to
provide training and technical assistance to around 5,000 affected families
in the above areas with a view to enabling them to build
earthquake-resistant houses.
Finally, this is an edited report from the main report that Caritas has sent
us recently. It was a very comprehensive report covering 12 pages. In that
report was a final paragraph which ends our update
"Caritas Pakistan Islamabad-Rawalpindi is extremely thankful to you the
individuals who through organisations like SPICMA responded so instantly to
support the victims of the Earthquake."
Extracts of Report by John Joseph, Diocesan Executive Secretary of
Caritas Pakistan Islamabad-Rawalpindi |
