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PAK QUAKE-AFFECTED PEOPLE ARE NOW VICTIMS OF SEVERE COLD

At a presentation held at the Pakistan Association Sports and Recreation Centre on Monday, Dr Hafeezur Rehman, President of the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (Pima) and Ijaz Afzal, Chairman of the Al Khidmat Foundation of Azad Kashmir, gave insights into the present relief operations and rehabilitation programmes being carried out in the affected areas.

“By the third day, the Al Khidmat Foundation had established a 50-bed hospital at Bagh, while general relief camps were also set up. The scale of the disaster was very great. A total area of 36,000sqkm and 5.7 million people were affected; 400,153 houses damaged; 203,579 collapsed; 196,574 houses partially damaged; and 2.5 million people left homeless by the quake,” said Dr Hafeez, who is also the relief coordinator for Azad Kashmir and NWFP. “We carried out 50 major general surgeries on the first day at field hospitals set up in the affected areas, while minor surgeries were more than 100. Later, we set up fabricated cabins and performed 4,800 surgeries on injuries, including abdominal, head and orthopaedic surgeries, while minor surgeries were more than 35,000, and 150,000 patients were observed,” he added.

Supporting NGOs in this work were 150 doctors from 20 countries, including the UAE; 1,000 paramedics; 350 dispensers; and 4,000 volunteers. Dr Hafeez also explained that during the the relief works that were being carried out, five volunteers lost their lives. “Over 2,300 trucks of relief goods were distributed by the foundations, while the total cost of goods was Rs2,500 million,” he added.

Outlining the need for more, Dr Hafeez said that the monthly cost for a family amounted to Rs6,000, while for one year it totalled Rs 72,000 ($1,200). He said that the foundation had set up semi-permanent structures for people who had lost their homes. “The temperature in the affected areas is below zero degrees now. Therefore, we still need more to rehabilitate the affected people, otherwise there may be other deaths,” he explained.

Afzal explained that immediate relief operations had been carried out after the rescue works were completed. “At present, we are focusing on providing shelter to the homeless because of the severe weather conditions. There is 15 foot of snow in the area, and people are dying of cold,” he added. “We have also requested the government to set up colonies for the affectees,” he added. Tanvirul Islam Khawaja, Chairman of the Joint Relief Committee said that the committee for earthquake victims had sent 904 tonnes of relief goods worth Dh9.5 million to Pakistan.