Dec 2005 - Cargo Relief Trip

Khalid Chaudhary, Imtiaz Mazhary, Mahmood Sheikh and Keren Lovett travelled to Islamabad and Northern Regions of Pakistan on behalf of BA community relations to oversee the delivery of emergency cargo. BA transported a free cargo plane full of supplies for four charities working in the area devastated by last October’s earthquake. Additionally, BA donated 16,000 blankets.

The nature of the emergency response had shifted from crisis management to containment management. Local care was being provided for those reaching Islamabad to escape the harsh Kashmiri winter. The scale of the relief operation covered an area three times the size of Scotland.

Supplies unloaded from the Cargo flight included: an X-ray machine from Islamic Relief, ‘school-in-a-box’ kits from UNICEF, construction equipment from West Midland Aid Trust, and blankets, clothes and medicines from Muslim Hands.

The team went north to Mansehra and Muzaffarabad with Muslim Hands. Muzaffarabad had been left heavily scarred by the earthquake – houses hung from hillsides at acute angles, and rubble was scattered around like scenes from the aftermath of a war.

We visited a refugee camp (Chehla Bandi) housing 1,300 families. The camp was well organised, with a pharmacy, children’s play area, makeshift school, and reasonable toilet facilities. Another camp at Upper Tariqabad, housed 6,000 people. Sanitation and medical support were major problems here.

At an Islamic Relief camp (for about 1,500 people), the team distributed some of the aid we had brought - giving each family a box of clothes and blankets.  We also  sought out widows and their families and gave them monetary donations.

Next, we moved to Balakot, near the epicentre of the quake. Hardly a single building was left standing.

We returned to Islamabad and early the following morning were disturbed by two tremors - there had been another earthquake on the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Thanks to all who contributed time, effort, money and encouragement.

To donate to the Asia earthquake appeal log on to http://www.dec.org.uk