On 8 October 2005, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook the northern region of Pakistan where the epicentre was situated 95 kilometres northeast of the nation’s capital of Islamabad. Tremors were felt from as far away as the Afghan capital of Kabul all the way to the Indian capital of New Delhi. In Pakistan, the devastation of the earthquake was felt the greatest in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Pakistan-administered Kashmir where over 75,000 people lost their lives, about 128,000 were injured and more than 3.5 million people were left homeless.
In addition, about 850 teachers and 18,000 students were killed in the quake. Approximately, 6,300 educational institutions were either damaged or destroyed. Whilst almost 90 percent of these schools are now finally operational, many are still outdoors or in temporary structures such as tents.
Our Support: Since the earthquake hit in October 2005, The World Federation has been working closely with the Hussaini Foundation of Pakistan to assist in the aftermath of the quake. At the time of the disaster, a meeting between the two organizations took place to chart out the immediate, medium-term and long-term strategies of providing relief to and rehabilitation of the region.
The World Federation responded to the quake immediately by helping to provide emergency relief to the victims which included tents, tarpaulin, food rations, blankets and medicine. The long-term aid was underway where funds collected were sent to Pakistan to keep pace with the reconstruction. Since then, about 9 tent schools have been set up, 49 temporary and 13 permanent mosques and imambarghas have been built, 800 one-room shelters and 165 two-room shelters have been built, 5 water projects have been set up which has benefited over 900 families and an orphanage home to house 50 children has been constructed – these are but a few of the many other initiatives that have been underway.
The Need for Permanent Housing: In past years, The World Federation has completed several housing projects in both India and Pakistan. Whilst a lot of rebuilding has been started in the earthquake region of North West Pakistan, there is still much left to do. The Hussaini Foundation of Pakistan is embarking on a new housing project at the foothills of Siachen - in the Northern area of Pakistan in the Kunduz Valley of the Gangchy District. 300 houses were destroyed by the earthquake in this area.
The following table illustrates the effect the earthquake had on the Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslims living in Siachen and its surrounding areas:
| Category |
Impact |
| Human Casualties |
1 death; 13 injured |
| Animal Casualties |
13 cattle; 107 sheep and goats |
| Permanent Houses |
300 homes completely destroyed; 106 partially damaged |
|
Mosques |
3 completely destroyed; 7 partially damaged |
| Imambarghas |
3 partially damaged |
| Madrasah |
1 completely destroyed; 1 partially damaged |
| Irrigation Channels |
47,800 feed damaged |
| Water Supply Channels |
completely damaged |
|
Cattle Ponds and Agricultural Lands |
destroyed |
| Shops |
3 destroyed |
| Water Mills |
3 destroyed |
Initially, the Hussaini Foundation provided this region with temporary shelters (mostly tents) for about 300 individuals. However, in reality, this is not a practical long-term solution. The comfort and security of a permanent structure does not compare to one that is too small, made of canvas and which lacks facilities to meet the needs of the families there. Our brothers and sisters need proper homes in which they can live comfortably and in peace. Our children need to live in a home in which they can feel safe and protected. This would be the next stage of recovery from the earthquake for them.
To add to the discomfort and inadequacy of these temporary structures and shelters, the climate in this part of Pakistan is extreme during the winter months. Families living here lack the basic essentials such as warm blankets and safe drinking water. Moreover, these tents are not heated nor are they insulated to keep out the cold air.
Photo: Temporary shelters along a river bank in Northern Pakistan (photo by N. Sultan)
Housing Solution: The Hussaini Foundation is the region’s local partner of The World Federation. Recently, they have sourced building materials from the local government at subsidised rates. The aim of this is to construct permanent housing made of wood and consisting of one room shelters for 300 families. The cost of each house is Rs 30,000 (£250 UK GBP / USD 500 / CAD 500). This cost is low thanks to the subsidised rates negotiated by the efforts of the Hussaini Foundation with the local government agency.
To support this permanent housing project in Siachen, Pakistan, The World Federation is appealing to donors from around the world to make a contribution to this initiative.
Shan-E-Abbas Hassam, The Assistant Secretary General of Relief & Economic Development stated: ‘We commend highly the hard work of Hussaini Foundation and their commencement of the next stage of the recovery for those affected by the October 2005 Pakistan Earthquake. We are at this time raising funds for this noble cause and would encourage donors to come forward. We shall be providing each donor who completes the housing donation form with a report prepared by the Hussaini Foundation to show their contribution to this particular project.’
For more information, please email relief@world-federation.org
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