Agencies Battle Winter Obstacles to Aid Quake Survivors

Friday, January 20, A.D. 2006

A little over three months after a powerful earthquake hit northern Pakistan and India, killing more than 80,000 people and leaving some 3 million homeless, relief organizations are now facing their biggest challenge yet - harsh winter weather in the mountainous areas. Heavy snows, high winds, bitterly cold temperatures and mudslides are major hurdles to overcome in reaching tens of thousands of quake survivors.

According to Marvin Parvez, Director of Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan, "it has been a challenge from day one to respond to this emergency because of the high terrain, culture, security - all the challenges you can imagine. As the winter has come in, the situation has gotten grim, and the winter has been unusually harsh this year."

Recent assessment teams have seen very difficult situations and found children with no hats, shoes or socks, leaving two of the most vulnerable parts of the body exposed. CWS is now including those items in their distributions, and Parvez reports that the relief supplies CWS and other aid organizations have been able to get to survivors so far have put thousands of people in a better position to get through the winter.

Emergency shelter, food, medical care, trauma counseling, and winter essentials (heaters, blankets, woolen jumpers, hats and shoes) are among the aid items CWS is providing, and helping people survive the winter is the number one priority. However, CWS teams working in camps have begun to work with some survivors to prepare recovery plans for the spring to rebuild homes, schools, farms, etc.

CWS is pleased to report that more than 50 Action by Churches Together (ACT) members and partners from around the world are supporting the emergency appeal for earthquake survivors. Disciples through Week of Compassion have pledged $300,000 toward the appeal and because of the generosity of so many Disciples members and friends, have now contributed $256,000 for quake relief via WOC, including a grant this week of $30,000. Designated gifts will be used in their entirety for quake relief and can be made online:www.weekofcompassion.org, or mailed to WOC, attn: Elaine Cleveland, P.O. Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46206.

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For congregations using the new WOC interactive map/poster, disaster and project responses made this week are listed below. We are still working on redesigning the website, so our map/poster page is not quite ready. Congregations may also want to use the 2005 Response Fund report that is posted on our current website for a complete picture of responses in '05. To receive a complimentary copy of the new map/poster for your congregation, please contact Elaine at ecleveland@woc.disciples.org, or call 317.713.2442.


Disaster Responses:

Pakistan, earthquake relief
Mississippi, additional hurricane assistance
California, additional flood relief

Project Responses:

Central Africa Republic, food security project
Palestine, trauma counseling project

Previous responses in '06:

Disaster Responses:

Oklahoma, wildfires
California, floods
Mississippi, hurricane assistance
Texas, hurricane assistance
India, tsunami recovery
Malawi, floods
Uganda, refugee assistance

Project Responses:

Armenia, food security project
Cambodia, food security project
Bosnia, food security project