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Pakistan: South Asia Earthquake- One year on

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Source: Kashmir International Relief Fund
Country: Pakistan

(London 8th October 2006): Today we are remembering the dead of the last year's powerful and deadly earthquake which took place on 8th October at 8.52 AM Pakistantime.

The earthquake only lasted 40 seconds but killed over 80,000 including over 17,000 children. It completely destroyed towns and villages in northern Pakistanand Pakistan-administered Kashmir (AJK). 3.5 million Were left home less. Hospitals and schools were the most effected.

A year on, the situation of the survivors has not changed much as most of them have not been able to build their homes and are facing an other Himalayan winter, when the night time temperature drops to -15.

KIRF (Kashmir International Relief Fund), a UKbased registered charity, has worked in AJK since 1992. Pre-earthquake of 8th October 2005, with 119 projects, spread all over Kashmir, it was the largest AJK based NGO having strong links with the people at the community level and cooperation of the AJK Government. This unprecedented catastrophe moved the human rights supporters all over the World. They rushed to the area and engaged in relief operations to minimize further loss of human life due to extreme cold weather and hunger and disease.

KIRF also joined the effort and integrated its relief work in the overall operations carried out in the area. Its services were need based and ranged between cash and coffin for demised members for the families, warm clothing, bed and under-lays, tents and shelters, food items and also utensils, stove and heaters for cooking and keeping the survivor warm. The list also included tents provided to schools for children to restart their education.

Both the volunteers and staff of KIRF worked day and night in the extreme weather conditions to make sure that the harsh weather caused no further damage to human lives. It's deep understating of the area, the people and their needs and choices and also the weather, helped it to help to manage its relief operations efficiently and cost effectively and, as a result, it was rated as the highest performing partner in UN Shelter Cluster in Bagh

KIRF supported more than 21000 families with various kinds of support services. Amidst the noise for tents, the organization questioned the limited efficacy of the tents due their short life and also its durability under the snow. It also voiced the risk in wake of people's habit to lit fire indoors to keep warm in the cold weather. Its proposal for shelter kits as alternative to the tents was appreciated and bought across the partners in relief work. KIRF started its shelter kit distribution on 18th October in Bagh and covered 5,500 families in 32 villages. Its shelter building success rate was the highest (94%). KIRF also gave shelter kits to some 2,400 families in 19 villages in District Muzaffarabad.

In February this year KIRF came up with the idea of an earthquake resistance timber frame house. It built a model home in Bagh with locally sourced materials. KIRF took this design to ERRA for adoption but they insisted on their own design of concrete

And stone. Eleven months after the earthquake, ERRA has finally said to the people to build timber frame homes. Ishfaq Ahmed, Founder and CEO of KIRF said, "By approving timber frame design this late, ERRA has lost whole summer and it is too late for the people high up in the mountains to build timber frame home as the winter has already arrived at high altitude. This means over two million people will be exposed to the harsh temperatures. We could be facing another tragedy."

Ends

KIRF Head Office
t. 08700 421 700 (+44 20 8519 0090)
e. info@kirf.org
w. www.kirf.org

Kashmir International Relief Fund
Registered UK Charity No. 1062749
Support the KIRF | Earthquake Appeal
Please donate Online at www.kirf.org or
Call the Donation Hotline on 08700 421 700 (+44 20 8519 0090)


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