PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

(COMPLETED PROJECT – 2005)

When we first got involved, people were suffering an unimaginable need in Pakistan and India. Rescue teams were still searching for survivors among the ruins. The winter was coming which brought with it snow, thunderstorms and freezing temperatures. In the meantime, media reports told of plagues that would break out as a result of the water that was now polluted by dead bodies and sewage. Hospitals were destroyed with the quake, leaving nowhere for people to receive official medical care.

A married couple that has led a children’s home there for many years reports:
“The children’s home still stands – it is a miracle. Around us families spend the night in what is now ruins, or outside on the street. The people are anxious for fear that the still standing homes will collapse.”

We continued to be in contact with this couple and could only imagine what was likely to take place in this children’s home in the coming days. This house became a shelter for the cold nights and hospital for the injured. Food supplies and resources were quickly running out and they were need for our help for their survival.

We helped with much-needed supplies, in partnership with GAiN Germany. The need for food and warm clothing was urgent. We brought these goods quickly to people who were in desperate need. A reputable partner in Islamabad attended to the containers that we shipped. Once the goods were received, the leaders of the children’s home along with other locals worked together to distribute groceries and clothing.


January 2006 Update:

Along with GAiN Germany and GAiN USA, we had six containers inside Pakistan, which consisted of medical supplies, hospital beds, blankets, sleeping bags clothing, dried soup mix and baby food. Distribution of these supplies was coordinated by the GAiN Pakistan staff.


June 2006 Update:

One area that GAiN continued to assist in, is the Kunhar Christian Hospital in Garhi Habibullah.

To help the medical team at this hospital, we helped with their monthly running costs of $7,000 US. This facility treated at least 100 ambulatory patients each month. In the surrounding area, new wells must be dug at at cost of $7,500 US.

Due to the earthquake, there was an estimated need for a further $60,000 US needed to rebuild the hospital so it can better serve the people of this area. The lead agency for this continued development is our partner, GAiN Germany.