Help Victims of 2015 Afghan Earthquake

Dear Friends,

October 2015 brought a devastating earthquake to the Hindu Kush mountain area of Afghanistan and affected Pakistan also.  Millions of people were affected, thousands wounded, hundreds died. AIL staff in Peshawar immediately went to work purchasing materials and formulating a plan to help people.

Supplies were purchased such as blankets, floor coverings, food packages (rice, cooking oil, beans, lentil dahl, sugar and milk) water coolers, buckets and washbasins. These supplies were enough to aid 1,000 people. The staff identified an area in the Bajaur agency and decided to focus their efforts on a couple of the worst affected villages. The people of the area are poor, illiterate and have many problems. Staff visited the chosen site identified the needy families and gave out numbered cards telling the people they would return with supplies. It took the truck 6 hours to transverse the terrain and reach the remote location. People were overjoyed to see the truck arrive loaded down with supplies.  Distribution of the supplies began immediately and took 7 hours.

Here is the story of an 18 month old child. “ Her name  is Gulbano and she slept inside a room. When the earthquake happened one side of the ceiling fell down over the child, no one knew where the baby was. When the shaking stopped everyone looking for this child and after one and a half hours her grandmother heard her crying under the mud and dirt inside the room. Her parents dug her out and fortunately she is alive as you can see in the picture.  She is  sweet and innocent, she cannot talk or walk but she smiles and is very cute.  She and all the kids in the area were very dirty, hopeless and destitute. They really need help especially because many of the kids were sick.

Thank you for your support of this worthwhile emergency work. You helped buy supplies and rent the truck and driver and pay staff to get the aid to people who needed it the most. 

Please read the attached CHI 2015 Newsletter featuring AIL for information on activities last year.

• CHI_Newsletter_2015.pdf (PDF)
  

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Dear Friends,

On 26^th October 2015 there was a devastating 7.5 earthquake centered in the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province, which borders Pakistan. Many people in the area around Peshawar, Pakistan have lost everything. AIL’s Peshawar office has worked with people in Pakistan for decades and has extensive contacts in the area and frequent experience of helping with natural and other disasters. Staff quickly identified 1,000 earthquake victims they can help in the Peshawar area. 

Funds already available were put to good use. AIL staff prepared supplies and  identified those it can help. The aid consisted of blankets, one week family food parcels– rice , lentils, oil, sugar, tea, floor coverings and cooking utensils, and a truck and driver for delivery of the supplies to 1,000 people.

As recovery continues AIL is monitoring the situation to see how it can give more aid to those who most need it. 

Thanks for your support for aid for the needy in Afghanistan.