|PIC1|Action by Churches Together and its members are continuing in their battle against the harsh winter weather settling in over the quake-affected mountainous regions of Pakistan to bring aid to thousands of survivors.

“It has been a challenge from day one to respond to this emergency because of the high terrain, culture, security – all the challenges you can imagine,” said Marvin Parvez, director of Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS), a member of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International.

Since the giant quake last October, CWS has continued to play a key role in providing assistance to thousands of survivors in camps and mountain villages, especially those at higher altitudes which will be cut off by winter weather and snow.

“As the winter comes in, the situation has gotten grim,” said Parvez, speaking by phone from Pakistan.

|TOP|He added, however, that thousands are now more able to cope with the winter thanks to the relief supplies from CWS and other humanitarian aid organisations which continue to operate in the affected regions.

CWS is currently operating in the Pakistan earthquake zone in cooperation with other organisations in the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum. The first concern of these organisations is how to support the survivors right throughout the winter.

The main issue, Parvez said, is “how do we meet these challenges of winterization, especially at 5,000 feet, with snow all over the place, with winds so strong.”

It was this question that topped the agenda of the latest meeting of forum members on January 17.

|QUOTE|ACT members have contributed 43,000 jumpers and blankets, nearly all of which have been distributed by CWS, as the initial focus on providing shelter gives way to the urgent need for other winter essentials. CWS already distributed 19,000 tents and 6,130 sheets in the past three months.

“Assessment and monitoring teams in the affected areas – especially in remote areas – were noticing that children had no hats, shoes, or socks for their heads and feet – two of the most vulnerable areas of the body,” said Parvez.

ACT has also received funds for CWS to purchase and distribute some of the winter essentials.

“We have received the first reports of child deaths as a result of the cold and pneumonia here at the United Nations coordination centre in Islamabad. I have seen children running around in plastic sandals in the snow,“ says Norwegian Church Aid’s aid coordinator for the Pakistan earthquake relief effort Anne Angeltveit.

|AD|“A pair of woolly socks costs five Norwegian Crowns and a good winter coat no more than fifty Crowns. Good quality tents, woollen blankets and warm clothes can now mean the difference between life and death for many, many people. Such comparatively small amounts of money can save the lives of so many who are slowly freezing to death,” said Angeltveit, who also underlined the importance of local purchasing in order to ensure that the clothes match the precise needs of the local population.


Parvez reported a deterioration in conditions in the last several days. “Recent assessment and monitoring teams going out on mountaintops have come back having seen some very difficult situations,” he said.
With many mountain residents now making the move down to the lower lands, CWS has been working to stock the valley camps with more blankets, plastic sheeting and warm clothing, as well as helping to make water and sanitation facilities available.

“We are trying to assist the army and government to scale up so they can receive these new people,” Parvez explained.

Despite the many weeks of harsh winter weather still to come, Parvez reported that some residents in the camps for displaced people are already thinking about life after the camps.

Psychosocial teams are working with men’s and women’s groups in the CWS-managed camps on how to rebuild their lives after they leave the camps and about how to undergo the move back to their villages.

“We’re talking and planning for how to rebuild houses. The recovery plans of CWS are in place,” Parvez said. “We’re talking to people about accompanying and supporting them through the rebuilding process.”

While accessing remote villages and providing medical care remain a concern to CWS and other ACT members, the immediate task, says Parvez, is trying as much as possible to assist people and keep them warm – “an uphill task this winter”, he said.