Since Pakistan's 7.6-magnitude earthquake last October, World Vision has been helping this devastated country rebuild.
On Saturday morning, October 8, 2005, Pakistan's worst-ever earthquake struck.
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More than 73,000 people were killed, including 18,000 children who were trapped in classrooms
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3.3 million people were left homeless
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80 per cent of health care facilities and 10,000 educational facilities were damaged
Urban towns were levelled, and countless rural families were left to face a bitter Himalayan winter in damaged or inadequate shelters.
World Vision moved in quickly, distributing quilts, water, and medicine. Staff members gave tarps and winterized tents to more than 31,000 families. They also opened 15
Child-Friendly Spaces
that formed small pockets of refuge for over 1,500 children.
In the eight months following the quake, World Vision brought help to more than 450 villages.
Rebuilding from Nothing
While the emergency phase may be over, a tremendous amount of work remains as families and communities rebuild—in many cases, starting from scratch.
Over the next four years, World Vision aims to restore education and livelihoods. Key goals within the next 18 months include:
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distributing "return" packages that include clothing, water, medical kits, blankets, and stoves to 500 families as they leave relief camps to go back home
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relocating Child-Friendly Spaces to areas where families will be living
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reconstructing 50 schools in the Siran Valley
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helping farmers return to agricultural production, and providing employment and skills training
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partnering with the UN's World Food Programme as it continues to feed most vulnerable quake victims: the homeless, unemployed, and those without family support through World Vision's Food-For-Work and school feeding programs
Because the quake struck during school hours, many Pakistani children are afraid to go back to class. World Vision's child-protection specialists are sensitively encouraging children to return to their studies. In
Child-Friendly Spaces
, staff members are planning memorial services as the one-year anniversary of the disaster approaches.
Securing the Future
To tackle longer-term needs in Pakistan, World Vision will be focusing on disaster preparedness and special programs for children in crisis, such as street children, runaways, and children at risk of being forced into bonded labour.
By rebuilding education and the livelihoods of vulnerable people, World Vision is working to restore hope in Pakistan.
