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One year on Kashmir Earthquake haunts survivors.
Zafar Sharif, Chief Co-ordinator of KRDF remembers ahead of the
anniversary of the Kashmir earthquake.
The devastating natural disaster on 8th October
left devastating memories on
our minds, which will not and cannot be forgotten by the
people who experienced
the earthquake last year. I was just about getting up when it
started jolting my
bed and then the whole house was moving like a small boat in
very rough waters.
I will never forget this experience of then getting up and
taking everyone out of
the house. It has left marks on people’s memories who saw
helpless people
dying, buildings coming down like toys falling and earth
breaking and mountains
falling apart.
There are thousands of
earthquake survivors who are now called earthquake refugees and have
been living in makeshift tents since the 7.6 magnitude earthquake
devastated their villages in the hills nearly a year ago. They'd
really like to return to their homes but without land or a house to
go to, their families have no choice but to stay in the makeshift
camps. Many of them have lost every thing including all members of
their families. The promised amount of money by the government has
not reached to all except the tiny 25000 rupees. The amount promised
by the government, as and when paid, will not even be enough to have
the structures of the house built let alone having a one or two bed
house.
While many who sought refuge in camps in the quake-affected regions
after
the disaster, have headed back to their villages to start rebuilding
their homes.
But for those whose land also crumbled and slid away can't even
think
about reconstruction until they have a safe plot. The memories of
their loved one
who died helplessly
haunts them even more.
The earthquake, which killed over 75,000, injured more than 300000
people and
left more than 3 million homeless in Kashmir and northern Pakistan,
was the
country's worst natural disaster. The government says it expects the
reconstruction
of homes, public buildings and roads to be finished in five years.
But there
seems nothing of that happening even after one year and makes these
people
wonder when and how this
will happen.
The education centres and health centres have been wiped out and
children, old
age and women are facing
serious health problems.
Volunteers and NGOs are working to help and relieve the difficulties
by
providing financial help, shelter, schools and health centres
including health
visitors. They are making home visits and explaining about ante- and
post-natal
care, safe drinking water, latrines, waste management, vaccinations
and a
range of diseases,
including diarrhoea and scabies.
Home and camp visits are an important way of reaching out to people
in camps,
who might not otherwise use the free consultations and drugs on
offer in
various clinics set up by
NGOs like Merlin and Government.
KRDF has been concentrating on providing shelter, setting up schools
and
vocational training centres. The first project was to try and
rebuild a primary
school in Rawalakot, which has now been completed with the help of
Multi Faith
Luton Council group. The organisation has also set up five
vocational training
centres in Bagh to provide training and opportunity for jobs. The
shelter
programme was provided
with help of Waltham Forest Islamic centre.
KRDF is also setting up a vocational training centre and rebuilding
two
schools in Muzaffarabad. The utmost need of the hour is to provide
safe places
to children to restart their education and health centres with
health visitors for
the children, old age and
women. SEE ALSO
How
you can help us:
 Sponsor
Primary School project at £6500
Sponsor
Secondary School
Sponsor
Vocational Training Centres at £800 each
Sponsor
Teachers Salaries £50 a month
Sponsor
Class Rooms £1200 to £1500 a room
Sponsor
Sewing Machines £40 each
Sponsor
uniforms, computers, bags, books for schools etc.
Cost Breakdown of KRDF Projects
Kashmir
Relief & Development Foundation (KRDF)
Registered Charity
in
England and Wales
No. 1114625
63 Hoe Street, Walthamstow,
London E17 4SA
Phone :-+44 203 042 5470 Email: -
info@krdf.net Web: -
www.krdf.net |
