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Facts on Pakistan
-Population: 144 million
-Life expectancy: 63 years
-Average annual income: $420
-31% of people live on less than $1 a day
-72% of women are illiterate
-1 in 11 babies die before their 1st birthday

Returning to the Scene of Devastation
In March 2007, Islamic Relief's Anwar Khan traveled to earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan to assess ongoing rehabilitation efforts. 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. Read Khan's journal entries.

Conflict & Poverty
Tensions between India and Pakistan persist over Kashmir and the countries have fought three border wars in the disputed region. Over 50% of the population is employed in agriculture and live in rural areas. Poverty remains widespread, with almost one in three Pakistanis living on less than $1 a day. In addition, over the past 20 years, Pakistan has hosted up to three million Afghan refugees.

Earthquake
The largest earthquake to hit South Asia in a century devastated the region on the morning of October 8, 2005. The 7.6 magnitude earthquake affected Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan, destroying entire towns and villages.

Over 79,000 people died and an additional 3 million left homeless. Over 5 million people in all have been affected by this disaster. The earthquake’s epicenter was close to Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

The cost of rebuilding affected areas topped $5 billion.

Islamic Relief in Pakistan
Islamic Relief’s central office is located in Islamabad and other field offices are located in other parts of Pakistan and in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Islamic Relief has been working in Pakistan since 1992, has a full-time staff of over 100 in the country.

Islamic Relief has successfully implemented many relief and development projects including drought relief in Balochistan, orphan support, prevention of blindness programs, and education enhancement programs. In addition, Islamic Relief has responded to disasters including earthquakes, droughts, cyclones and floods.

Earthquake Response
Islamic Relief has three full-time offices near the earthquake-affected areas in Islamabad, Neelum Valley, and Muzaffarabad. In addition, Islamic Relief's emergency response team was able to reach the affected area within one hour after the earthquake hit. This team was set up to respond to the earthquakes in Pakistan (2002) and Iran (2003).

Islamic Relief has emergency programs previously set up in the area due to the ongoing conflict in the region. This includes evacuation plans, an emergency response unit, first aid and bunkers constructed to protect citizens.

Islamic Relief staff was on the ground within hours of the disaster, and immediately conducted a needs-assessment. Islamic Relief Pakistan's healthcare center in Neelum Valley began receiving and treating the injured soon after the earthquake. There are more than ten medical clinics operated by Islamic Relief in the earthquake-affected areas. Over 2,000 people were treated at the Neelum Valley center just on the second day after the earthquake.

Islamic Relief’s earthquake response efforts have focused on the following sectors: Shelter; Food Security; Health; Water Sanitation; Education; and Sustainable livelihoods.

Islamic Relief has distributed winterized tents, plastic sheeting, sleeping mats, medicine, food items, water cans, kitchen sets, and blankets/quilts among other things to earthquake victims.

Over 537,000 beneficiaries have been served by Islamic Relief’s emergency earthquake response efforts

Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Islamic Relief has been working in Azad Jammu and Kashmir since 1998 helping people affected by the conflict along the Line of Control. Islamic Relief's local office in Muzaffarabad co-ordinates relief programs in the Neelum Valley and Athmuqam - areas which are vulnerable to heavy cross-border shelling.

In 2001 Islamic Relief launched the Neelum Valley Integrated Development Program, which covers health, water and sanitation, sustainable livelihoods, and disaster preparedness. The aim is to involve community organizations in helping to reduce the vulnerability of people in the Neelum Valley.