The 2005 Earthquake: Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction

Tented Village: Relief

8th October 2005. The earthquake that killed and injured millions brought down whole villages and cities in the Northern Areas and North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The same disaster brought together a nation to face the challenges posed by the earthquake that claimed around 80,000 lives and left more than 50,000 wounded. Millions were left homeless. Along with individuals and national and international agencies, CAMP rushed to the worst affected areas in the North and set up a tented village to 55 families. Along with other partners, CAMP also provided these displaced families with food and non-food items, and water and sanitation facilities. In addition, relief items were also provided to the affected population of village Jundhial in Mansehra.

Disability Resource Centre: Rehabilitation

The devastating earthquake of 2005 not only left people homeless and injured but also left them with severe physical disabilities. While it was an uphill task for every individual to gather together the threads of life and move on, it was all the more challenging for Persons with disabilities (PWDs) who had to come to terms with material as well as physical losses. CAMP decided to set up a Disability Resource Centre in Mansehra for facilitating the physically handicapped. The Disability Resource Centre was established in collaboration with Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD), a UK based charity organization that focuses on PWDs. The centre provides free information, facilitates rehabilitation services, coordinates advocacy activities on PWDs rights at district, provincial and national level, offers referral services to PWDs for physical rehabilitation services, prosthetic limbs, orthopaedic braces, wheelchairs, physiotherapy and psycho-social care. DRC also provides Inclusive Education to PWDs, facilitates Economic Empowerment of PWDs, formation and strengthening of Self-Help Groups, Career guidance and training, and helps create accessible environment in schools and work places for PWDs. These services are essential in improving the quality of life for PWDs, increasing their independence and enabling them to access economic opportunities, which lead to integration and inclusion into community life. CAMP plans to replicate this project in other areas of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa.

Bedadi Village: Reconstruction

Soon after the devastating earthquake, while setting up a tented village for about 50 affected families in Union Council Shinkiari, district Mansehra, CAMP heard the story of these families who had been evicted from the land they were living on as tenants. Still in shock from losing everything during the earthquake, these families could not believe that they had nowhere to go from the tented village. After some discussion, CAMP presented a project of building houses for these families to International Disaster & Emergency Aid with Long-term Support (IDEALS), who agreed to support the construction of 26 houses. Hiring masons and carpenters from amongst the villagers, the construction started in March, 2008. CAMP and SUNGI, another national NGO, installed two water pumps each at accessible points. The construction of sewerage lines and a drainage system along with 4 septic tanks were initiated by Terre des homes (Tdh). These earthquake proof houses were finally handed over to the families in April 2009. In October 2009, an electricity transformer was installed. For the New Bedadi Village story, please see our story section.