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The Salvation Army brings winter relief to residents of remote regions.
Widows receive quilts from The Salvation Army in Pakistan. |
To those who inhabit the remote mountain villages of northern Pakistan, the blinding snow and biting wind of winter bring the threat of imminent death.
Much of the world has forgotten these people—survivors of the devastating earthquake, registering 7.8 on the Richter scale that shook northern Pakistan on Oct. 8, 2005. According to Jehangir Ali Khan, International Medical Corps Pakistan country director, the disaster killed more than 80,000 people and displaced millions.
The Salvation Army remains committed to the region’s long-term recovery. Recently, targeting 40 remote hamlets in the mountains surrounding Balakot, a team of Salvation Army officers, led by Captain MacDonald Chandi, delivered more than 4,000 quilts and 3,500 iron roofing-sheets to struggling communities.
The Salvation Army launched this winter relief program for people still suffering the consequences of the massive quake. In the more remote mountain villages in the north, many families are struggling to recover. With the arrival of winter, many of these people are challenged to survive the cold, as well as recover what they lost in the disaster.
To ensure the delivery of the materials, the Army received assistance from INSAN, a local relief agency, and the Pakistan military.
In all, more than 1,350 families benefited from the program.
Much work remains to be done in Pakistan to improve the lives of survivors and help them move on with their lives.
Donations to the South Asia Disaster Fund (www.salvationarmy.org) will provide necessary resources that will allow the Army’s team in Pakistan to continue to help families whom others seem to have forgotten.
From a Salvation Army international news release
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