No Westerners allowed in since 1888

Mississauga, ON— World Vision and Pakistani aid agency Organization for Development Coordination (ODC) are answering a desperate call for help from tribal leaders in the Black Mountain region of Kala Daka beyond Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. The Black Mountain region is forbidden to outsiders; there is no record of Western contact in the area since 1888, when a British and Indian army expedition surveyed the region.

Their remote location coupled with a deliberate avoidance of the outside world, meant the tribe of approximately 104,000 received no assistance after the October 8, 2005 earthquake. Desperation forced tribal leaders to leave their mountain refuge to make the long journey through frigid temperatures and deep mountain snows to ask for help.

"World Vision has been in the nearby Mansehra region for more than three years working with the communities in partnership with the ODC, so there's a trust which the tribal leaders accepted," said Emmanuel Isch, director of emergency relief and disaster mitigation for World Vision Canada. "They have allowed Andy Goss, our photographer, to travel with the relief team and meet their families."  

World Vision and ODC relief teams will be distributing food aid, blankets, clothing, and other emergency supplies, and providing medical assistance. Supplies will be transported by truck to the Black Mountain border, and then carried for four hours over narrow tracks to the villages.

No recent reliable maps of the area exist. But British army officer Colonel Wylly documented the 19th century expedition, and World Vision was able to access his maps and used them to plan their route.

The area is notorious for banditry and the tribal people are deeply suspicious of outsiders; however, ODC has considerable experience working with tribes in neighbouring Afghanistan and negotiated the route security for the relief operations.

World Vision's response to the South Asia earthquake includes:

• 8,199 families have been assisted with shelter. Corrugated galvanized iron sheeting is still being distributed to families to reinforce their shelter and afford protection against freezing night temperatures, rain and snow. 29,220 sheets have been distributed to date.
• 15 World Vision Child-Friendly Spaces (safe places for children) are currently operational. 
• 57,784 people have received food supplies (1,249 metric tonnes). Non-food items including tool kits and tarpaulins have been distributed to 17,983 households.
• More than 12,000 school children have benefited from exercise books, chalk, pens, class registers and teacher preparation materials.
• 55 houses have been cleared of debris in a pilot cash for work project in the Siran Valley.

World Vision is an international Christian, relief, development and justice organization working in more than 90 countries assisting over 80 million people every year.