What I will aim to do in this post is to try and give a sense of the reality of the October 8th disaster that hit Northern Pakistan so devastatingly.
I would like to illustrate the specific problems and needs that the people of the Shangla district are facing, alongside the serious logistical problems we’ve faced in getting them aid. We’ve learnt many lessons, sometimes the hard way, as well as reflecting on key ethical principles i.e. ādāb that needed to be observed throughout our work so far. One also needs to appreciate the risks and dangers posed by criminal gangs as well as more general looters and then the absolutely desperate and poor ones who are literally ‘stealing’ to survive.
You need to know about the corruption and criminality of the army, business men, local politicians as well as the government in this aid relief as well as the amazing efforts of general Joe public, international NGOs, some corners of the army and the international volunteers including for example brothers from our circle who have been providing medical relief in the more needy areas.
It’s quite correct to hear about the continued and present dangers that the earthquake survivors are suffering from but one needs to be aware of the full picture of things. I have very little love for the Pakistani government in its total lack of respect for its poor citizens who live in absolute poverty, compounded by its ever-present corruption and mismanagement – as Imran Khan has just recently said, “The biggest threat facing the survivors is not the winter but rather their own government.”
Never a truer word said.
Yet no government could have possibly dealt with such a disaster in totality - so swings and roundabouts then, the good with the bad, the heroes and the losers. May Allah purify our intentions and forgive us all for our shortcomings.
In view of all that, please forgive the very long and disjointed nature of this post. It is being written on the bus from Swat to Lahore (and its second half being completed on the way back), has a few pictures of which some are graphic in nature and others which are simpler yet equally emotional. Many pictures have been left out for sensitivity purposes as well as the fact that it takes like hours to upload them on my anything-but-broad-band connection.
I apologise in advance if this post is depressing – nobody, especially myself as you all very well know, prefers to be gloomy and pessimistic when optimism is available on offer. Yet, I feel compelled to tell the story so far how it is so that no-one remains hoodwinked or naïve to the real score behind the front and yet I’ll try my best to sprinkle a bit of good news and light amongst the darkness bi ithnillah.
And Allah is our source of help, the Mighty, the Wise.
Last Friday, my team comprising of five key colleagues, led by my friend Amanullah (a PhD Arabic student at Peshawar University) and about a further 40 volunteers set off from Peshawar for the Shangla district with our Quetta delivery of mink blankets. It had taken the truck drivers a total of 48 hours continuous driving to get to us and now, we would embark on a 22 hour drive to the most northern regions of the NWFP, through the roughest terrain you can imagine. There is nothing resembling a road through the Shangla district, just a rocky path which jolts every single one of the 213 odd bones in your body. Throughout the entire journey, the word ‘gruelling’ just kept replaying through my mind as we inched our way upwards into this incredibly desolate and remote mountainous region, getting to the first village at around 11pm after 16 hours of driving, on our way to the final village (from where we would start our distribution the next morning) to reach there for Fajr in the next six hours.
It was vital that the six hour drive between the first and last target villages of the district would be in the middle of the night, when we hoped that most of the people would be sleeping. This was because the meetings we had that I described in the previous post were suggesting it was the only way to actually prevent our convoy being looted. I know it sounds ridiculously over-exaggerated but to put it in perspective: over 60 trucks of various goods in the last week have come through these nine odd villages from Alpurai, through Karora, Kuz Kana, Bara Kana, Sangara, and Sharpoor to the very last village of Kikur – not a single one made it to the top without either being looted, smashed up or a corrupt businessman or Nazim (a local councillor) persuading the relief team to hand over the goods for them to distribute only for them to sell it or hoard for their own people in the hunt for votes and re-election.
Honestly, after this weekend I can see exactly how that would happen (i.e. relief teams wanting to evacuate as soon as possible and hence giving over the goods for ‘distribution’). When you’re in such a difficult region, so desolate and depressing, the only thing we wanted to do was to just get the hell out of there. I was like “find some ‘trustworthy’ looking character, give him the responsibility, “tawakkal ‘alal-llah” and just get back to civilisation as soon as”. Subhanallah how tempting it was, but alhamdulillah our team were and jazāhumullāhu khayran for this, incredibly patient and conscientious of the wealth that had been entrusted to us. I remember on a few occasions telling the others that, “Insha’Allah he looks honest and organised, he’ll do the job for us…” only to be told to hold out and initiate the distribution ourselves so that they wouldn’t have any opportunity to do the dirty. Amanullah – you be the man.
After we had last week made contact with a representative from each of the nine villages on the distribution of the blankets and relief packs, we decided that throughout the night we’d stop at each place to offload their ‘quota’ getting all the way to the top to end up with empty trucks and then start to publicly distribute them the next morning on our way back down and out of the district.
Our first problem of the evening came when we received word that there were two crowds of looters waiting in the first two villages so we decided to not make these two drops (if our convoy had stopped then it would have definitely been ransacked) so we sped through these two stops. Why didn’t we have a police escort? Firstly, they wanted payment. Yep. Secondly, they said they couldn’t take on the people, which was probably true. Thirdly, we wanted to be as least confrontational as possible and a police escort isn’t exactly the best way to do that. For the same reason we also decided against taking arms and relied on big sticks hidden in the truck in case things got too out of hand.
Again, you must be thinking, “What the …!” but seriously, aid workers and NGOs had been coming back to their bases in Swat bashed and bruised, making qasams that they’d never go back again and that the aid should be sent to Kashmir instead etc. Although I don’t wish to make excuses for this kind of riotous behaviour, the reality is that these were a poor and destitute people so bitter and infuriated by NO response from the Pakistani government or army for two weeks, no other aid getting through, and if it did then it went to the richer and more connected people. Really, there is no other word to describe these people with other than desperate.
When we got to the third, and most affected village of Sharpoor, we were met with a mighty impressive delegation of students of the main madrassah despite it being 2am odd, armed and eager to help store and then distribute the aid to the Mustahiqqeen (those who deserve it).
The rest of the evening passed by without any incident, and we made all of our drop-offs by Fajr time. The last and highest village was where we would start the next morning.
And when we awoke 2 hours later, the fitnah had already started. Outside the garage where everything had been stored, a large crowd had already gathered (which was intended as we had spent the earlier week surveying the entire area and had compiled detailed lists of those that had been affected and what they would need as well as issuing tickets for them to return to us in order to receive their aid). It was the only way that we could do this – or so we thought...
We started the distribution according to the named list and before we knew it, scuffles and mayhem had broken out which led us to locking the garage again and sending the people away, threatening them that they would never receive anything over the next few months if they continued as they did.
But why their desperation? Because their families and children had been reduced to a greater level of poverty that had surpassed their previously unsurpassable level of poverty – you’d have to see it to believe it.
The majority of the houses here are not safe to live in anymore. People are either sleeping out in the open, using corrugated iron or tarpaulin sheets for temporary shelter or lucky enough to have some sort of tent. The women could be seen hiding in the ruins of the homes whereas the children try to entertain themselves, something made easier when a strange looking guy wants to take a picture…
We left this village’s quota of aid with our contact, Qari ‘Abd al-Sattar who devised a way of getting the aid to the Mustahiqqeen individually via night time. We have heard since then that he was successful wal-hamdulillah with only 30 odd blankets being stolen, and even that would be by those most desperate ones who will at least insha’Allah put them to use as opposed to the evil politicians selling them and using them for hubb al-riyasah purposes.
It was only over the next few days of daylight in which I appreciated the remote beauty of this district and yet how perilous the roads had become for our convoy after the damage caused by the earthquake.
Here are some more pictures of the distribution throughout the rest of the district in the ensuing days.
Here I wish to mention an important point that I’ve witnessed during TV coverage of the relief operations throughout the rest of Pakistan. You might recall seeing all the pushing and shoving causing comical scenes leading to laughing aid workers. Even worse are those people who start to inadvertently develop a smile due to the ‘power’ they now possess, as they choose selectively who to help and who not to help, believing that the needy person’s livelihood can be affected by their actions. I can’t think of anything more disgusting and against the adab of musā‘adah (helping others), yet at the same time I witnessed it from one or two of our own volunteers! I couldn’t believe it, yet began to realise how easy it was to full into this trap when you’re throwing something threw hundreds of outstretched hands, almost playing with your crowd, wa nas’alal-llahu al-‘afiyah.
Throughout the mayhem, we met many very grateful people, heard a lot of du’a and praises. That was not meant for us, but for all of you who have been giving so generously, may Allah reward you all and increase and bless your wealth, ameen.
I don’t wish to be sanitised about our day – we saw some very distressing things despite the fact that the Shangla district has only had around 500-600 deaths, a few thousand injured and many thousands homeless (which pales into comparison with Kashmir and Balakot of course). Many families have left their homes and moved near the road side into fields…
There is so much work yet to be done. Look at these children. You should only be able to see your own children in their place, your own Eesa, your own ‘Umar, your own Asiyah. Think about it and reflect – can you do more to help? Can you still give more?
Things started to get even more depressing in Sharpoor where houses were utterly destroyed.
A child was sleeping in this room when the earthquake hit – this was her bed.
Others largely affected were the entire staff and students in Sharpoor’s main seminary, reduced to sleeping outside with whatever they could muster. We discussed an action plan to try and provide more shelter for all their students. I was inspired by the spirit of their headteacher, the Maulvee saab at the top end of the circle who had been sleeping under plastic for 15 days with his students and yet co-ordinating the relief plan to the rest of the villagers. Thank God that the weather has been mostly dry so far…
There are so many more pictures of what we witnessed during those few days which I may post up when I get back to broadband insha’Allah. Needless to say, Shangla along with all the other affected places still needs our help and attention and it was with this in mind that I left immediately for Lahore to finalise contracts with our shelter suppliers.
On the way, I decided to stop off in Abbottabad where our brothers were (extremely) busy manning one of the hospitals, running clinics and theatre sessions, performing surgery where needed as well as referring those that couldn’t be dealt with here.
Doc Naseer was able to get nearly 20 boxes of medical aid with him from Manchester whereas Shazad was able to procure a £5000 discount on other medical appliances and drugs as he came and took over from Amjad who returned back this week. They won’t like this, but the (secret) picture of them in action goes up anyway…
After thinking about it long and hard, I’ve decided to leave out the pictures showing the horrific trauma injuries that the brothers have been dealing with. I think Shazad will be grateful that he did that hospital A&E placement, especially with the nature of the wounds needing so much grafting.
With the list of patients now cleared in Abbottabad, we’ll be liaising with other field units manned by Doctors Worldwide so that we can send Shazad and Naseer and the others out there as support and let them thereby utilise their time in the best way before they have to be back in the UK in the next few weeks.
So then on to Lahore where due to the immense efforts of the Dar family masha'Allah, we have been busy racking our brains on the best options for shelter. I am particularly grateful to Yassir, Fahad and Faisal especially considering that I didn’t do enough paal as they say and became stupidly sick, confined to bed and losing two precious days. If it wasn’t for their continued running around whilst I lay knocked out in their guestroom then I don’t know where we’d be!
To give you some idea of our problems: we have sourced a single-ply waterproof tent that measures 7ft x 12ft at the production rate of 200 a day at a cost of 4000 rupees a tent. The Dar family are involved in textiles and we were able to analyse the fabric to ensure its quality and so were happy with this supplier, yet we recognised that limited funds were only allowing us just under 600 tents which wasn’t even nearly enough.
We had to be careful of the market too, considering that the normal Pak scams were gathering speed – canvas tents sprayed with starch to display waterproof qualities was a common blag as well as other shoddy attempts to make a quick buck at the cost of their fellow countrymen wa Allahu Musta’an.
After much mashwara, we decided to go for another product – a tarpaulin like single sheet with ropes and eyelets built in, 12ft x 15ft in size, fully waterproof and effectively just a flat tent. The cost was only 2000 rupees (and we have sent off a further sample to Karachi to try and get it produced at only 1500 rupees insha’Allah), we can get 250 odd a day and hence we decided it was the best option considering the circumstances.
And what were these considerations? Well, firstly one has to recognise that the devastation in Shangla is not like that in Kashmir – there are still many houses half-standing, many stable walls, many trees and stalks etc totally unlike the ground zero of Muzaffarabad. This meant that a more ‘flexible’ tent that can be secured using existing structures, or just be used as a canopy or roof even in existing ruins, would be very apt. This is what the Maulvi in Sharpoor had also recommended. We kept in mind also that there were much more landmarks to break the wind flow and hence the cold in Shangla as opposed to other areas. Also, we’re not talking about me and you here but we’re talking about survivors – these people are about as hard, tough and resilient as they come, and when they know what they need, that’s good enough for me.
Giving out tents in the traditional sense would also need a 12ft cane and two pieces of 6.5ft cane to be distributed in a speedy fashion amongst thronging masses. Not a very nice thought I can tell you, and very much easier said than done.
Also, buying part tents or tents only as well as cheaper plastic/canvas tarpaulins for the rest of the people would definitely increase the risk of bitterness and even fighting, especially based on the blankets experience (and this is four times the value!).
Hoping to aim for nearly 2000 plus pieces of the ‘tarpaulin-tent’ would cover more families, giving shelter to an estimated 18,000 people according to our lists. In actual fact, there is no wrong or right in these decisions as both options have their pros and cons. No doubt the tents are warmer and more private, but the pros of the tarpaulin-tents were overwhelming and as I now return back to Swat on the 10 hour night bus, we expect to have a supply of 2000 odd pieces from Karachi and Lahore in the next 5-7 days. Again, thank God it’s been warm and dry of late and that the people are still holding out.
Over the next few days, we’ll be sending three (very carefully) chosen teams, who I have decided to pay a wage to ensure a good, fair and thorough job, to the Shangla province under the leadership of our main man Amanullah. This project will involve the distribution of bank cheques of about 1000 rupees, enough for an affected family to buy exactly what they need at the cheapest prices they know they can get in their own markets. As shelter is being dealt with insha’Allah, and food is plentiful, disease and injury low, large amounts of quilts, blankets and clothes having been collected by the local population, then this sum of money will hopefully, according to our information, go a long way to purchasing that what they need in the short term until the government finally wakes up and compensates these families with a respectable amount insha’Allah, although I’m not holding my breath you’ll not be surprised to know.
The logistics of this next plan are very difficult partly due to the very poor banking system here in the remote NWFP. We can’t give out cash sums as that is far too dangerous and yet the banks won’t give us extra cheque books to pay out those affected! I have a meeting in the morning to try and solve this problem, so hopefully every family will get a little something before ‘Eed comes insha’Allah.
And that’s been pretty much my week over the last seven days – the rest is down to you guys to keep the donations coming in. Thanks to your wonderful efforts, we are helping so many people but they really need so much more tarpaulins and shelter. Due to the excellent success masha’Allah of our buying team as well as the local knowledge of our contacts, we’re now thinking of supporting a few more teams in Muzaffarabad and Mansehra who have still not received any help as I write this piece. Also, a small Afghan immigrant community caught up near Jammu desperately need some help as they struggle in political no-mans-land.
On the day that our most ‘enlightened leader of moderation’ Mr Musharraf said in the Financial Times about all the Islamic groups providing aid to the needy in those areas not yet reached by the government, “we must beat them to it, we must get there and set up schools and colleges before they set up madrassahs…”, and we seek refuge with Allah, then you should know O my dear brothers and sisters in Deen that we must step up to this task with pride, desire and honour.
At this most auspicious of times, with the Night of Power in our reach and the blessed last ten nights reverberating with the good actions of the pious, see your Ramadhan out with success by donating more and more, as much as you possibly can. May Allah give us all the ability to please Him and fulfil His command, ameen.
From someone who hasn’t seen much of a mosque in Ramadhan recently, remember us in your du’as as you stand its nights asking Allah for His bounty, grace and forgiveness – and maybe, just maybe, we’ll chuck in a little sly one for you guys too…
:-)
I would like to illustrate the specific problems and needs that the people of the Shangla district are facing, alongside the serious logistical problems we’ve faced in getting them aid. We’ve learnt many lessons, sometimes the hard way, as well as reflecting on key ethical principles i.e. ādāb that needed to be observed throughout our work so far. One also needs to appreciate the risks and dangers posed by criminal gangs as well as more general looters and then the absolutely desperate and poor ones who are literally ‘stealing’ to survive.
You need to know about the corruption and criminality of the army, business men, local politicians as well as the government in this aid relief as well as the amazing efforts of general Joe public, international NGOs, some corners of the army and the international volunteers including for example brothers from our circle who have been providing medical relief in the more needy areas.
It’s quite correct to hear about the continued and present dangers that the earthquake survivors are suffering from but one needs to be aware of the full picture of things. I have very little love for the Pakistani government in its total lack of respect for its poor citizens who live in absolute poverty, compounded by its ever-present corruption and mismanagement – as Imran Khan has just recently said, “The biggest threat facing the survivors is not the winter but rather their own government.”
Never a truer word said.
Yet no government could have possibly dealt with such a disaster in totality - so swings and roundabouts then, the good with the bad, the heroes and the losers. May Allah purify our intentions and forgive us all for our shortcomings.
In view of all that, please forgive the very long and disjointed nature of this post. It is being written on the bus from Swat to Lahore (and its second half being completed on the way back), has a few pictures of which some are graphic in nature and others which are simpler yet equally emotional. Many pictures have been left out for sensitivity purposes as well as the fact that it takes like hours to upload them on my anything-but-broad-band connection.
I apologise in advance if this post is depressing – nobody, especially myself as you all very well know, prefers to be gloomy and pessimistic when optimism is available on offer. Yet, I feel compelled to tell the story so far how it is so that no-one remains hoodwinked or naïve to the real score behind the front and yet I’ll try my best to sprinkle a bit of good news and light amongst the darkness bi ithnillah.
And Allah is our source of help, the Mighty, the Wise.
Last Friday, my team comprising of five key colleagues, led by my friend Amanullah (a PhD Arabic student at Peshawar University) and about a further 40 volunteers set off from Peshawar for the Shangla district with our Quetta delivery of mink blankets. It had taken the truck drivers a total of 48 hours continuous driving to get to us and now, we would embark on a 22 hour drive to the most northern regions of the NWFP, through the roughest terrain you can imagine. There is nothing resembling a road through the Shangla district, just a rocky path which jolts every single one of the 213 odd bones in your body. Throughout the entire journey, the word ‘gruelling’ just kept replaying through my mind as we inched our way upwards into this incredibly desolate and remote mountainous region, getting to the first village at around 11pm after 16 hours of driving, on our way to the final village (from where we would start our distribution the next morning) to reach there for Fajr in the next six hours.
It was vital that the six hour drive between the first and last target villages of the district would be in the middle of the night, when we hoped that most of the people would be sleeping. This was because the meetings we had that I described in the previous post were suggesting it was the only way to actually prevent our convoy being looted. I know it sounds ridiculously over-exaggerated but to put it in perspective: over 60 trucks of various goods in the last week have come through these nine odd villages from Alpurai, through Karora, Kuz Kana, Bara Kana, Sangara, and Sharpoor to the very last village of Kikur – not a single one made it to the top without either being looted, smashed up or a corrupt businessman or Nazim (a local councillor) persuading the relief team to hand over the goods for them to distribute only for them to sell it or hoard for their own people in the hunt for votes and re-election.
Honestly, after this weekend I can see exactly how that would happen (i.e. relief teams wanting to evacuate as soon as possible and hence giving over the goods for ‘distribution’). When you’re in such a difficult region, so desolate and depressing, the only thing we wanted to do was to just get the hell out of there. I was like “find some ‘trustworthy’ looking character, give him the responsibility, “tawakkal ‘alal-llah” and just get back to civilisation as soon as”. Subhanallah how tempting it was, but alhamdulillah our team were and jazāhumullāhu khayran for this, incredibly patient and conscientious of the wealth that had been entrusted to us. I remember on a few occasions telling the others that, “Insha’Allah he looks honest and organised, he’ll do the job for us…” only to be told to hold out and initiate the distribution ourselves so that they wouldn’t have any opportunity to do the dirty. Amanullah – you be the man.
After we had last week made contact with a representative from each of the nine villages on the distribution of the blankets and relief packs, we decided that throughout the night we’d stop at each place to offload their ‘quota’ getting all the way to the top to end up with empty trucks and then start to publicly distribute them the next morning on our way back down and out of the district.
Our first problem of the evening came when we received word that there were two crowds of looters waiting in the first two villages so we decided to not make these two drops (if our convoy had stopped then it would have definitely been ransacked) so we sped through these two stops. Why didn’t we have a police escort? Firstly, they wanted payment. Yep. Secondly, they said they couldn’t take on the people, which was probably true. Thirdly, we wanted to be as least confrontational as possible and a police escort isn’t exactly the best way to do that. For the same reason we also decided against taking arms and relied on big sticks hidden in the truck in case things got too out of hand.
Again, you must be thinking, “What the …!” but seriously, aid workers and NGOs had been coming back to their bases in Swat bashed and bruised, making qasams that they’d never go back again and that the aid should be sent to Kashmir instead etc. Although I don’t wish to make excuses for this kind of riotous behaviour, the reality is that these were a poor and destitute people so bitter and infuriated by NO response from the Pakistani government or army for two weeks, no other aid getting through, and if it did then it went to the richer and more connected people. Really, there is no other word to describe these people with other than desperate.
When we got to the third, and most affected village of Sharpoor, we were met with a mighty impressive delegation of students of the main madrassah despite it being 2am odd, armed and eager to help store and then distribute the aid to the Mustahiqqeen (those who deserve it).
The rest of the evening passed by without any incident, and we made all of our drop-offs by Fajr time. The last and highest village was where we would start the next morning.
And when we awoke 2 hours later, the fitnah had already started. Outside the garage where everything had been stored, a large crowd had already gathered (which was intended as we had spent the earlier week surveying the entire area and had compiled detailed lists of those that had been affected and what they would need as well as issuing tickets for them to return to us in order to receive their aid). It was the only way that we could do this – or so we thought...
We started the distribution according to the named list and before we knew it, scuffles and mayhem had broken out which led us to locking the garage again and sending the people away, threatening them that they would never receive anything over the next few months if they continued as they did.
But why their desperation? Because their families and children had been reduced to a greater level of poverty that had surpassed their previously unsurpassable level of poverty – you’d have to see it to believe it.
The majority of the houses here are not safe to live in anymore. People are either sleeping out in the open, using corrugated iron or tarpaulin sheets for temporary shelter or lucky enough to have some sort of tent. The women could be seen hiding in the ruins of the homes whereas the children try to entertain themselves, something made easier when a strange looking guy wants to take a picture…
We left this village’s quota of aid with our contact, Qari ‘Abd al-Sattar who devised a way of getting the aid to the Mustahiqqeen individually via night time. We have heard since then that he was successful wal-hamdulillah with only 30 odd blankets being stolen, and even that would be by those most desperate ones who will at least insha’Allah put them to use as opposed to the evil politicians selling them and using them for hubb al-riyasah purposes.
It was only over the next few days of daylight in which I appreciated the remote beauty of this district and yet how perilous the roads had become for our convoy after the damage caused by the earthquake.
Here are some more pictures of the distribution throughout the rest of the district in the ensuing days.
Here I wish to mention an important point that I’ve witnessed during TV coverage of the relief operations throughout the rest of Pakistan. You might recall seeing all the pushing and shoving causing comical scenes leading to laughing aid workers. Even worse are those people who start to inadvertently develop a smile due to the ‘power’ they now possess, as they choose selectively who to help and who not to help, believing that the needy person’s livelihood can be affected by their actions. I can’t think of anything more disgusting and against the adab of musā‘adah (helping others), yet at the same time I witnessed it from one or two of our own volunteers! I couldn’t believe it, yet began to realise how easy it was to full into this trap when you’re throwing something threw hundreds of outstretched hands, almost playing with your crowd, wa nas’alal-llahu al-‘afiyah.
Throughout the mayhem, we met many very grateful people, heard a lot of du’a and praises. That was not meant for us, but for all of you who have been giving so generously, may Allah reward you all and increase and bless your wealth, ameen.
I don’t wish to be sanitised about our day – we saw some very distressing things despite the fact that the Shangla district has only had around 500-600 deaths, a few thousand injured and many thousands homeless (which pales into comparison with Kashmir and Balakot of course). Many families have left their homes and moved near the road side into fields…
There is so much work yet to be done. Look at these children. You should only be able to see your own children in their place, your own Eesa, your own ‘Umar, your own Asiyah. Think about it and reflect – can you do more to help? Can you still give more?
Things started to get even more depressing in Sharpoor where houses were utterly destroyed.
A child was sleeping in this room when the earthquake hit – this was her bed.
Others largely affected were the entire staff and students in Sharpoor’s main seminary, reduced to sleeping outside with whatever they could muster. We discussed an action plan to try and provide more shelter for all their students. I was inspired by the spirit of their headteacher, the Maulvee saab at the top end of the circle who had been sleeping under plastic for 15 days with his students and yet co-ordinating the relief plan to the rest of the villagers. Thank God that the weather has been mostly dry so far…
There are so many more pictures of what we witnessed during those few days which I may post up when I get back to broadband insha’Allah. Needless to say, Shangla along with all the other affected places still needs our help and attention and it was with this in mind that I left immediately for Lahore to finalise contracts with our shelter suppliers.
On the way, I decided to stop off in Abbottabad where our brothers were (extremely) busy manning one of the hospitals, running clinics and theatre sessions, performing surgery where needed as well as referring those that couldn’t be dealt with here.
Doc Naseer was able to get nearly 20 boxes of medical aid with him from Manchester whereas Shazad was able to procure a £5000 discount on other medical appliances and drugs as he came and took over from Amjad who returned back this week. They won’t like this, but the (secret) picture of them in action goes up anyway…
After thinking about it long and hard, I’ve decided to leave out the pictures showing the horrific trauma injuries that the brothers have been dealing with. I think Shazad will be grateful that he did that hospital A&E placement, especially with the nature of the wounds needing so much grafting.
With the list of patients now cleared in Abbottabad, we’ll be liaising with other field units manned by Doctors Worldwide so that we can send Shazad and Naseer and the others out there as support and let them thereby utilise their time in the best way before they have to be back in the UK in the next few weeks.
So then on to Lahore where due to the immense efforts of the Dar family masha'Allah, we have been busy racking our brains on the best options for shelter. I am particularly grateful to Yassir, Fahad and Faisal especially considering that I didn’t do enough paal as they say and became stupidly sick, confined to bed and losing two precious days. If it wasn’t for their continued running around whilst I lay knocked out in their guestroom then I don’t know where we’d be!
To give you some idea of our problems: we have sourced a single-ply waterproof tent that measures 7ft x 12ft at the production rate of 200 a day at a cost of 4000 rupees a tent. The Dar family are involved in textiles and we were able to analyse the fabric to ensure its quality and so were happy with this supplier, yet we recognised that limited funds were only allowing us just under 600 tents which wasn’t even nearly enough.
We had to be careful of the market too, considering that the normal Pak scams were gathering speed – canvas tents sprayed with starch to display waterproof qualities was a common blag as well as other shoddy attempts to make a quick buck at the cost of their fellow countrymen wa Allahu Musta’an.
After much mashwara, we decided to go for another product – a tarpaulin like single sheet with ropes and eyelets built in, 12ft x 15ft in size, fully waterproof and effectively just a flat tent. The cost was only 2000 rupees (and we have sent off a further sample to Karachi to try and get it produced at only 1500 rupees insha’Allah), we can get 250 odd a day and hence we decided it was the best option considering the circumstances.
And what were these considerations? Well, firstly one has to recognise that the devastation in Shangla is not like that in Kashmir – there are still many houses half-standing, many stable walls, many trees and stalks etc totally unlike the ground zero of Muzaffarabad. This meant that a more ‘flexible’ tent that can be secured using existing structures, or just be used as a canopy or roof even in existing ruins, would be very apt. This is what the Maulvi in Sharpoor had also recommended. We kept in mind also that there were much more landmarks to break the wind flow and hence the cold in Shangla as opposed to other areas. Also, we’re not talking about me and you here but we’re talking about survivors – these people are about as hard, tough and resilient as they come, and when they know what they need, that’s good enough for me.
Giving out tents in the traditional sense would also need a 12ft cane and two pieces of 6.5ft cane to be distributed in a speedy fashion amongst thronging masses. Not a very nice thought I can tell you, and very much easier said than done.
Also, buying part tents or tents only as well as cheaper plastic/canvas tarpaulins for the rest of the people would definitely increase the risk of bitterness and even fighting, especially based on the blankets experience (and this is four times the value!).
Hoping to aim for nearly 2000 plus pieces of the ‘tarpaulin-tent’ would cover more families, giving shelter to an estimated 18,000 people according to our lists. In actual fact, there is no wrong or right in these decisions as both options have their pros and cons. No doubt the tents are warmer and more private, but the pros of the tarpaulin-tents were overwhelming and as I now return back to Swat on the 10 hour night bus, we expect to have a supply of 2000 odd pieces from Karachi and Lahore in the next 5-7 days. Again, thank God it’s been warm and dry of late and that the people are still holding out.
Over the next few days, we’ll be sending three (very carefully) chosen teams, who I have decided to pay a wage to ensure a good, fair and thorough job, to the Shangla province under the leadership of our main man Amanullah. This project will involve the distribution of bank cheques of about 1000 rupees, enough for an affected family to buy exactly what they need at the cheapest prices they know they can get in their own markets. As shelter is being dealt with insha’Allah, and food is plentiful, disease and injury low, large amounts of quilts, blankets and clothes having been collected by the local population, then this sum of money will hopefully, according to our information, go a long way to purchasing that what they need in the short term until the government finally wakes up and compensates these families with a respectable amount insha’Allah, although I’m not holding my breath you’ll not be surprised to know.
The logistics of this next plan are very difficult partly due to the very poor banking system here in the remote NWFP. We can’t give out cash sums as that is far too dangerous and yet the banks won’t give us extra cheque books to pay out those affected! I have a meeting in the morning to try and solve this problem, so hopefully every family will get a little something before ‘Eed comes insha’Allah.
And that’s been pretty much my week over the last seven days – the rest is down to you guys to keep the donations coming in. Thanks to your wonderful efforts, we are helping so many people but they really need so much more tarpaulins and shelter. Due to the excellent success masha’Allah of our buying team as well as the local knowledge of our contacts, we’re now thinking of supporting a few more teams in Muzaffarabad and Mansehra who have still not received any help as I write this piece. Also, a small Afghan immigrant community caught up near Jammu desperately need some help as they struggle in political no-mans-land.
On the day that our most ‘enlightened leader of moderation’ Mr Musharraf said in the Financial Times about all the Islamic groups providing aid to the needy in those areas not yet reached by the government, “we must beat them to it, we must get there and set up schools and colleges before they set up madrassahs…”, and we seek refuge with Allah, then you should know O my dear brothers and sisters in Deen that we must step up to this task with pride, desire and honour.
At this most auspicious of times, with the Night of Power in our reach and the blessed last ten nights reverberating with the good actions of the pious, see your Ramadhan out with success by donating more and more, as much as you possibly can. May Allah give us all the ability to please Him and fulfil His command, ameen.
From someone who hasn’t seen much of a mosque in Ramadhan recently, remember us in your du’as as you stand its nights asking Allah for His bounty, grace and forgiveness – and maybe, just maybe, we’ll chuck in a little sly one for you guys too…
:-)
posted by Abu Eesa at 3:55 PM
9 comments
