| “Heaven on earth” as Bagh was once
called, was the second hardest hit region in Pakistan (after
Muzaffarabad) of the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake. Receiving lesser
attention from international NGOs, many of the villages living
in the hilly countries beyond Bagh town received organized relief
aid much later. It was thus a concern for the victims of the
earthquake on 8th October may not survive as winter approached
during the third week of November.
CRS has teamed up with a local partner to provide relief
to Bagh. With its base located in a Pakistani army camp 20km
away from Bagh town, it sent mobile medical teams and relief
supplies into the villages in the mountains. Report from CRS
first medical team led by Dr. Derek Allen showed that as of
22 October, more than 50% of the villagers still required
medical help--about half of these were children. They suffered
from respiratory illnesses, exposure, infected wounds and
fractures. In each village, the team saw 100-150 patients
a day. Some of the patients would not have survived if they
were not picked up by the medical team, given appropriate
treatments and evacuated.
CRS has also raised funds to purchase and deliver blankets/tents
and medical supplies into the villages. It has helped them
to survive the winter, as access roads may be closed and the
villages inaccessible during winter.
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