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Returning to the Scene of Devastation
IR-USA representative visits earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan

In March 2007, Islamic Relief's National Development Director, Anwar Khan, traveled to earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan to assess ongoing rehabilitation efforts, and meet with beneficiaries to ensure that their needs have been met. Khan shares parts of his journal from the trip, providing insight into the life of an aid worker, and the current conditions of people affected by one of the deadliest earthquakes in recent times.

Saturday, March 3

We started our three-hour journey from Islamabad by road to Bagh before sunrise. As the sun rose, we ascended higher into the mountains. They are lush green and it had been raining earlier so we saw several waterfalls. This is my third trip within 18 months to Kashmir. I am falling in love with the beauty of this area, but am keenly aware of the suffering of people who live in this tough terrain. It has been more than 18 months since the earthquake, but we can still see tents and temporary shelters. We arrive in Bagh after 10:00 am, have tea and leave to visit orphans and attend a ceremony of craftsmen receiving their course certificates. It takes one hour to drive 7 miles to the village outside Bagh. The journey is tough and the 4-wheel drive capability of our pickup is tested.

We then hike 30 minutes up the mountain to the top -- an altitude of 7,000 feet – to meet the orphan. It is very high and I feel nauseated. The orphan is Musarrat Nazir and she is 12 years old. As we get the video camera ready we notice the clouds are quickly rising up the mountain. We cannot film inside the shelter she is living in, so we start the interview outside. We continued the interview in the rain and were forced to stop when it began snowing. We wait inside the shelter for 30 minutes, talking to her uncle and neighbors until the snow shower finishes.

We then descend half an hour down the mountain. As we are descending, I notice a girl hiking up the mountain. It has been two hours since the other children returned from school. I am told she is a 16-yearold girl who has to travel six miles to the nearest girl's high school. She spends two hours descending down the mountain to the nearest main road, and from there, she spends half an hour by bus to travel six miles to school. Today she had to make this journey in the rain and snow, wearing only a shalwar kameez (traditional Pakistani attire) and a shawl to protect her from the snow and rain.

The return car journey takes two hours to travel seven miles, because of the rain. That is 3.5 miles an hour. It has taken us five hours to visit one orphan. We do not have time to visit the other orphan, as we were already late for our appointment with the craftsmen. The craftsmen have been trained by one of our engineers on how to construct earthquake-resistant housing, according to Pakistani Government regulations. There are about forty of them, and they are a welcoming crowd, even after waiting three hours for us. We interview them and I present them with certificates. This project is a great idea, helping to improve the safety of the new homes.

The Government of Pakistan has fronted half of a grant, consisting of $4,000 to rebuild the earthquake victim's homes. To receive the other half, they must meet the earthquake resistance requirements.

We slept that night in the best hotel in Bagh. The room was extremely cold, and didn't have a heater. There wasn't hot water, so we could not shower, the bed sheets were dirty, and dogs were barking outside for several hours. And, to top it off, I had a fever. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but appreciate how lucky I was compared to all the hardships of most people in the area.

Sunday, March 4

As usual, we started our journey before sunrise. The journey to Dhirkot took two hours by road. It was good to see Takseen, the head of IR Dhirkot again. We went to Bulund Kot to see some of our community organizations. It was a one hour trip in the mountains. We saw the link road that we built a few years ago with the local community organizations that we helped to organize. One of the locals told me that they used to spend a day carrying the sick on their shoulders to the nearest road. Now it takes fifteen minutes in a car. Imagine how many lives have been saved.

We interviewed an elderly lady who cried when she first saw the water that Islamic Relief brought to her house. She explained that she spent half her life getting water. The people were very appreciative of the help they received from Islamic Relief.

Monday, March 5

We were not able to meet the Prime Minister of Kashmir as planned because he was in Islamabad, so we visited some of our local projects instead. The first project was a loan project. We met some local shopkeepers whom we provided loans to. They had been refused loans by local financial institutions. They were deeply appreciative that Islamic Relief was the only organization willing to help. We also visited a rubble recycling machine that Islamic Relief provided to crush rubble so it could be recycled to be used in producing bricks for new homes. Islamic Relief is supporting many orphans in the Muzaffarbad area. One of them is Zafran Ali, who lives with his six brothers and sisters. His 22-year-old brother is his guardian. They rent one room in a house where all seven have to eat, sleep, and live. His broken bones have healed from the earthquake, but the pain of losing both parents stays with him.

We had meetings late into the evening, then drove through the dark mountainous path to Islamabad. We arrived to find that our reserved hotel room had been given to someone else. At 2:00 AM we were taken to a guest house. Niyaz and I spent my last few hours in Pakistan working through the night.

Tuesday, March 6

It was sad to leave Pakistan again. I feel a belonging to Kashmir and the struggle of those who not only have to deal with poverty, but a daunting terrain as well. It has been 18 months since the earthquake and the world has moved on to other issues. The people are slowly trying to put there lives together. I have a responsibility to speak for them. They will need assistance for at least a decade. God Almighty help us.

From Partnership, the official newsletter of Islamic Relief, Spring 2007