Pakistan Church Continues Quake Relief Efforts, Publicizes Precautionary Measures

(November 22, 2008) As winter approaches, Church relief efforts for survivors of the powerful earthquake that hit the remote part of Balochistan province are focused on providing them tents. Caritas Pakistan Quetta, the local Catholic Church's social-service office, based in the provincial capital, distributed 100 tents on Nov. 18 in Khanozai village, 640 kilometres southwest of Islamabad. Shivering in subzero temperatures, villagers spent the night waiting their turn on open ground. "Relief items were supplied at night after news spread of quake survivors looting trucks along the way" the day before, explained Fahim Javed, a Caritas team member. "We had to wait till evening because locals stay indoors at night" due to the cold, he told UCA News. The 6.4-magnitude quake that hit Balochistan's Ziarat district on Oct. 29 killed around 300 people, destroyed 3,000 houses and left more than 4,000 with no place to stay. Local news channels have reported on people dying of the cold in the affected areas of Pakistan's largest province, which is mountainous and sparsely populated. Due to the cold, some local people are demanding the government send them to warmer parts of the province. Naseer Ahmad, a labourer in a local apple orchard, told UCA News: "Living in tents is not comfortable, especially for the women and children, who are becoming ill. Like Caritas, the Salvation Army in Pakistan is focusing its relief aid on providing tents.Balochis in Kawas, one of the villages reported that about 300 people died and an estimated 40,000 were left homeless. From Nov. 8 to 16, the Church and charity organization sent 10 trucks loaded with 500 winterized tents as well as gas cookers and utensils to two of five quake-hit union councils, local administrative divisions.