“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.