Massive Earthquake in Northern Pakistan
Relief Work and Reconstruction
On 8 October 2005, at 8:50 PST, an
earthquake with the magnitude of 7.6 hit
Pakistan and India. The North West Frontier
Province (NWFP), Azad Gammu and
Kashmir (AJK) in Pakistan were most heavily
damaged. More than 78,000 were killed and
an estimated 100,000 people became
disabled. About three-quarters of the victims
were women in their homes at the time of the
earthquake. Their houses fell down on the
residents resulting in many spinal cord
injuries. It was reported that several hundred
cases of spinal cord injuries were transferred to
medical facilities in Islamabad, Lahore and
Karachi. Many wounds became infected due to
a lack of medical facilities resulting in
amputations of arms and legs.
The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) organized a Regional Training Seminar on Capacity Building for Self-help Organizations for Persons with Disabilities (CBSHOD) in Islamabad, Pakistan, from 22 to 26 September 2005 two weeks prior to the earthquake. APCD promoted national unity of the different organizations of persons with disabilities (PWDs) across Pakistan using a participatory and processoriented approach for the CBSHOD Most of the organizations of persons with disabilities began to communicate and collaborate with the CBSHOD Organizing Committee.
CBSHOD ex-trainees who lived in the earthquake-affected areas called other CBSHOD participants in Islamabad and Lahore for help. APCD Associate Organizations: MILESTONE in Lahore, Foundation for Assistance of Special Talent (FAST) in Rawalpindi, and Students Talent Exchange Program (STEP) in Islamabad, took immediate action for relief work for people with disabilities in the affected areas. Mr. Mian Asim Zafar and Mr. Muhammad Shafiq-ur-Rehman of MILESTONE and the Independent Living Center in Pakistan, knocked on doors in their neighborhood to collect supplies such as water, food, blankets and clothes and dispatched them to the affected areas within 3 days after the earthquake. They reported the damage and relief needs to APCD.
FAST took action to conduct research for victims with disabilities and reported it to APCD.
Mr. Atif Sheikh and Mr. Nazar Hussain of STEP organized a project on relief work for refugee camps in Islamabad to assist people with disabilities who were forced to live in tents and shelters, to provide beds, blankets and assistive devices. Mr. Atif Sheikh negotiated with the owner of a movie theatre to utilize their facility to particularly shelter women with spinal cord injuries. MILESTONE joined this project to conduct Peer-counseling for 47 women with spinal cord injuries in Islamabad.
APCD organized an "Accessible Environment Seminar: Towards a Barrier-free Society for All in the Post-Earthquake Areas in Pakistan", on 15 December 2005. The Seminar was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Pakistan. The Seminar was opened by H.E. Ms. Zobaida Jalal, Minister of Social Welfare and Special Education, and H.E. Mr. Hashmat Khan, Minister of Social Welfare of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). H.E. Mr. Kashmat Khan has invited APCD to conduct a Workshop in the NWFP and affected areas in the spring of 2006 to promote accessible reconstruction of public facilities such as educational, medical, etc.
Dr. Asiah Abdul Rahim, Islamic University of Malaysia, was the Keynote Speaker on Barrier-free Architecture from an Islamic Perspective and Basic Access Standards of the Physical Environment. Dr. Asiah was an APCD ex-trainee from the Non-Handicapping Environment Workshop in February 2004. APCD is planning to organize a local Workshop on Accessible Environment for the affected areas in NWFP.
