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PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE RELIEF: SITUATION UPDATE
As
the nation braces from the devastation caused by the massive
earthquake in the Northern parts of Pakistan, frantic relief efforts
continue from all quarters.
The
joint platform created by Khoja (Pirhai) Shia Isna Asheri Jamaat,
Mehfil-e-Murtaza, JIBA Karachi, Save Life and Hussaini Blood Bank
has kept up its momentum by desperately engaging into relief
efforts.
As the death toll rises, there are thousands of injured needing
medical help and millions who have been rendered homeless and are
living in the open, braving the harsh weather. Old and sick, women
and children, who have been traumatized by the loss of their dear
ones and their homes search for shelter in the calamity hit areas or
are looking for help to move them out in some better location.
After more than a week, the rescue efforts have been abandoned. The
focus has now shifted on providing relief and medical aid, which has
reached in ample quantity except in the inaccessible areas due to
bad weather, landslides, collapsed bridges or reasons most sought
after are the tents for shelter against cold and chilly winds and
winter clothing. Soon the snowfall will start and access to higher
land will cease, making it difficult to dispatch any relief, thus
causing more deaths and miseries. Tent cities are being considered
as an alternative.
The relief efforts supported by our community are spread across two
major earthquake hit areas, which include Azad Kashmir and Frontier
province.
The team, which had reached BAGH in Azad Kashmir distributed food,
blankets and medical supplies and our doctor attended to several
patients. Surrounding villages of Bagh were visited and assessment
of losses carried out. Mr. Abbas Kashmiri is busy collecting data of
dead and injured, widows and orphans, loss of community amenities
and houses of momineen. This assessment would assist us in the next
phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction work. Photographs and
visual clips were also taken.
Hussaini Blood Bank team, was able to establish a blood screening
and matching camp at Mansera Medical College (makeshift hospital)
and our doctor team comprising Dr. Atiya, Dr. Najma, Dr. Anjum, Dr.
Tasneem Shabbir Dhanji, Dr. Insiya Agha, Dr. Zahida Ali Wali and
Ms.Masooma Bhojani, Mr. Pervaiz and Mr. Shahid, OT technicians were
invited to take over a full wing of the hospital where they were
able to conduct 35 surgeries and hundreds of OPD cases. They also
conducted visits in the nearby village of Battal to provide medical
care to the effected people. Counseling was also provided to
traumatized patients.
Mr. Hassan Abullo coordinated all efforts and kept shuttling between
Mansera and Muzaffarabad to make arrangement of similar type in
collaboration with Al Abbas Hospital, which has luckily survived the
effect of earthquake in Muzaffarabad. While establishing a blood
screening and matching setup in Muzaffarabad, it was ensured that
power supply was restored and remained constant. A refrigerator was
purchased for storage of blood and arrangements were made with an
NGO by the name SUNDUS from Lahore for supply of fresh blood every
second day This arrangement will help in performing surgeries on
patients of Muzaffarabad and the two valleys.
Relief containers were sent to Muzaffarabad and access was made to
village Dherian Sadaat for the first time after six days. Supplies
were distributed with the help of village leader Mr. Altaf Shah
Bukhari. Mr. Hassan Abullo and Maulana Shabbir Hasan Maisami held
meetings with community leaders of Muzaffarabad which included Mufti
Kifayat Hussain Shah Naqavi, Prof. Dr. Nisar Hussain Hamdani,
Professor of Economics at the Azad Kashmir University (who
unfortunately lost his only daughter in a school building collapse),
Maulana Faryad Hussain Naqvi, Principal Fatimiyah Girls Howza and
Maulana Shaikh Sabri, Khateeb of Markazi Masjid Jafaria (who too
lost his son in the earthquake). Condolence was conveyed to the
bereaved families.
During the meetings, which were held at frequent intervals, relief
operations were discussed particularly for the villages in the
mountains, which were difficult to access. Arrangements were checked
for storage of supplies in Imambarah for the difficult days ahead. A
team of intelligent volunteers was sought who would be assigned to
make surveys and gather data of the losses to be used for the next
phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction. It is a matter of
concern that areas located in the valleys of Jhelum and Neelum have
remained inaccessible where Sadaat momineen are supposed to be
facing miserable conditions. Overall death count of earthquake would
rise when these locations are reached. Massive destruction of life
and property was witnessed in Muzaffarabad. (Six thousand students
of schools and colleges are reported to have been buried in the
rubble of their collapsed school structures). Fortunately the Masjid
and Imambarah have survived with minor damages and are being
utilized as shelter for the homeless and a medical center. The house
of Mufti Kifayat Hussain has become the contact point.
In the Frontier region, a location by the name of Paras (in Kaghan
valley), which is populated by 4000 Sadaat, has remained
inaccessible by road till today. With the active support of Hujjatul
Islam Shaikh Mohsin Ali Najafi, arrangements were made with the
military to provide helicopters for 8 sorties over a couple of days,
which made it possible to airlift relief supplies and bring back the
wounded. It included Mualana Shirazi and his wife who were
immediately admitted in Mansera hospital and taken care of.
Interestingly, the madressa established by Sheikh Mohsin Najafi in
Kaghan was the hub of our relief activities.
120 helpless women and children were temporarily shifted from
Muzaffarabad by buses to a madressa in Balkasar dist. Chakwal (more
than hundred kilometers from Islamabad) and are being looked after.
Mr. Ghulam Abbas Datardina and Maulana ShabbirHassan Maisami managed
and coordinated the relief activities from Jamia Al Kauthar in
Islamabad with the co-operation of Hussaini Relief Fund. Purchases
of relief goods worth Rs. 4 million have been made in Rawalpindi and
have been dispatched to various areas.
While the outpouring for relief goods and cash donation has been
overwhelming in the city, our brothers and well-wishers abroad have
not forgotten us in this time of distress. Messages of sympathy,
concern and support have been flowing in at Jamaat and Mehfil
offices. His Eminence Hazrat Ayatullah Al Uzma Syed Ali Seestani has
sent his message of condolence and has expressed solidarity with the
citizens of Pakistan in the time of distress and has assured of his
full support. He has also advised momineen to help in the relief
efforts by donating generously and has been kind to send his first
installment of donation of Rs. One million through the office of
Agha Shaikh Yusuf Ali Nafsi.
In his message, Hujjatul Islam Shaikh Mohsin Ali Najafi who is the
Vakil of His Eminence Grand Marja’Ayatullah Syed Ali Seestani has
given permission to use the SEHME IMAM for providing relief for the
earthquake victims. Momineen are requested to send Sehme Imam and
also Sehme Sadaat, which will be utilized for earthquake victims,
majority of whom are Sadaat.
The World Federation of Khoja Shia Isna Asheri Muslim Communities,
London has kept up to its tradition and has taken the lead in
mobilizing the community on international level to solicit donations
for the earthquake victims. Mr. Ahmed Hassam, representing the
worldwide community, in his telephonic conversations to the
Presidents of Khoja Jamaat and Mehfil-e-Murtaza has conveyed his
grief at the colossal loss of life and property and expressed his
firm support for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of momineen
in Azad Kashmir and elsewhere. Taking into account the urgency of
the matter, Dr. Ahmed Hassam remitted the first tranche of relief
fund within first 24 hours.
The team has been successful in procuring donations of supplies and
has made arrangement of dispatch of one more 40' container to
Islamabad, which will reach tomorrow morning. Another 40' container
has been acquired with the support of a trade body and is expected
to reach tomorrow night.
Premises of Mehfile Murtaza have become the hub of relief activities
in Karachi.Mr. Altaf Bhojani is acting as coordinator with the
invaluable support of Mr. Mohammed Fazel, Mr. Amin Khakhu, Mr.
Mohammed Ali (Mimi), Mr. Naushad Datardina, Mr. Aun Ali Alibhai and
the Management of Mehfile Murtaza and its volunteers under the
supervision of Mr. Hussain Alibhai, the President and Mr. Ramzan Ali
Morvi, Hon. Secretary. They all are rendering invaluable services,
day and night, to make this relief effort a success.
Khoja Pirhai Jamaat supported release of advertisement in Daily Dawn
to solicit donations from philanthropists and have successfully
mobilized the community under the able leadership of Mr. Dost
Mohammed Bhojani.
The JIBA members have made handsome contributions in cash and kind
and have made firm commitments of more as soon as Mr. Ayaz Thaver
returns from his visit abroad.
The office bearers of Save Life Trust are in the forefront of the
relief efforts. Mr. Hassan Abullo, President, Mr. Sarwar Ali, Vice
President, Maulana Shabbir Hasan Maisami, General Secretary are
serving in the calamity area while Mr. Altaf Bhojani, Member is
coordinating the efforts in Karachi.
Hussaini Blood Bank has been very active during the crisis and has
made superb arrangements to ensure screened blood supply in the
calamity area. It has motivated the citizens to donate blood and is
supporting other organizations, which are involved in collecting
blood. Dr. Sarfaraz Jafri and his devoted team being the foremost in
Hematology are engaged in the field since the calamity struck and
have performed tremendously.
It is also pertinent to point out that the office bearers all the
five Karachi based organisations which have joined hands in this
relief effort have met in the last couple of days to review the
ongoing efforts and expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved
so far with the blessings of Almighty Allah (S.W.T.) Maulana Shabbir
Hassan Maisami especially returned from Islamabad to brief the
committee and informed that reports from the field indicated that
our teams were amongst the first to reach the affected areas and our
relief activities were well organised. The organisation heads have
also begun to think about the long-term strategies needed to
rehabilitate the affected people. Maulana Shabbir Hassan Maisami
will be returning to Islamabad shortly to further coordinate the
relief.
We thank our donors, the community elders and the volunteers who
have helped in organizing this massive relief effort in remote and
difficult areas for our brothers who are suffering the agony of
devastation of their homes and livelihoods. The loss of life is
immense and the pain unbearable. We thank Allah (S.W.T) who has
bestowed us with the attribute of sharing the grief of momineen and
the help ability to them and pray for his Rehmat on the Prophet
S.A.W.W. and his progeny A.S.
We are looking ahead towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation
phase as soon as the relief operations are over. We need to ponder
upon the future needs of our momineen for restarting their lives.
Scores of orphans and widows will have to be taken care of. Old and
permanently handicapped will look upon us for help. Reconstruction
of community facilities will be vital for communal growth.
Institutions will need support to function independently. Destroyed
means of livelihood need to be created again. In fact the footage on
TV screens cannot depict the full scale of mass destruction, which
has taken heavy toll on life, property, infrastructure, and psyche
of the community. It takes few lines to mention all this but will
take decades to overcome the loss and regenerate people’s lives. At
present, it seems that a generation has been lost.
For more information,
suggestions and support, please contact
Mr. Altaf Bhojani (0300 9245186)
Mr. Mohammed Fazal (0300 2123847) at Mehfil-e-Murtaza (4557250 /
4557339)
or any office bearers of
Khoja Pirhai Shia Isna Asheri Jamaat,
Mehfil-e-Murtaza,
JIBA Karachi Chapter,
Hussaini Blood Bank &
Save Life Trust.
We hope this message will give you a fair idea of the current
situation and efforts in hand. We shall endeavour to keep you
updated in a similar fashion regularly.
Khoja (Pirhai) Shia Isna Asheri Jamaat
Mehfil-e-Murtaza
Save Life Trust
JIBA Karachi Chapter
Hussaini Blood Bank
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