Kashmir

Earthquake Relief (2005-present)

In October 2005, an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck Muzzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir, devastating parts of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, and causing over 73,000 deaths. JDC has raised over $676,000 to aid the earthquake's victims, and is now working with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Indian and the Pakistani-controlled areas of Kashmir, building upon several pre-existing JDC/CRS partnerships. With JDC support, CRS/Pakistan provided winterized shelters for affected families in the Northwest Frontier Province, near their original homes. Because winterized tents were in short supply, JDC and CRS built semi-permanent, vault-shaped winterized structures, made from locally available materials. JDC is also working with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to provide 840 winterized bedding kits for a total of 5,000 direct beneficiaries. This is an area that had not received assistance from other aid agencies.

With JDC support, CRS/India assisted school-aged children in ten villages. Psychosocial support through supervised recreational activities took place, facilitating the healing process and restoring a sense of control and community. JDC support allowed the provision of recreational supplies to twenty activity centers. An additional JDC partnership with the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (DMI) enabled survivors to return home and resume family life. Lost household items were replaced for 200 families residing in villages in Kashmir, India. JDC and DMI also partnered to conduct cash-for-work activities for the earthquakeís victims.

Pakistani-Kashmir: Village in the Sky (2005-present)

This JDC initiative is rehabilitating the hard-hit village of Sarbala in Pakistani Kashmir. Sarbalaís entire infrastructure was destroyed, including local schools, the villageís medical clinic and mosque. Like other villages at high elevations, Sarbala has been largely inaccessible to government and relief agencies, and initially received little humanitarian assistance. Partners in this initiative include the Turkish International Blue Crescent (IBC), the Wingate Foundation, and Rapid Relief International, an Indonesian NGO.

Immediate humanitarian assistance was provided to 100 families, including shelter, clothing, and food. JDC has enabled the re-opening of the boys and girls schools, benefiting over 150 children. The building of two playgrounds has been completed, and 250 hygiene kits for pre-school children were distributed. Permission from the health authorities for the establishment of a clinic in the village has been granted. Municipal authorities are committed to staffing the clinic and providing equipment and supplies on an ongoing basis. With additional donor funds, JDC expanded its original response to include a new component of safe building training and the provision of technical assistance for rural housing reconstruction. The local Pakistani military command has agreed to assist JDC and IBC in the logistical efforts involved in the reconstruction. To date, twenty-nine Village Reconstruction Committees have been established and two hundred carpenters, steel fixers, and builders have been trained. In addition, the reconstruction of a community facility is planned. The facility will have a kindergarten, an employment training center for women, a space for village meetings, and a mosque.

Indian-Kashmir: Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction for the Kashmir Earthquake - Affected Victims (2007)

Following the success of its recovery and rehabilitation efforts in the wake of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, JDCís long-standing partner All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) now seeks to promote disaster preparedness at the community level in the five earthquake-affected villages, and to further reduce disaster in these villages through livelihood recovery. This long-term recovery project also seeks to provide support for permanent and additional shelter development and community infrastructure facilities. In addition, the project includes a public awareness component. AIDMI will continue to focus on women, the elderly, minorities, and informal economy workers.

The components of this project are based on the findings of an April 2007 needs assessment: Community infrastructure projects will be operated, such as constructing water storage tanks and improving sanitation for permanent shelters. Livelihood support, which AIDMI has been providing since 1998 through its Livelihood Relief Fund (LRF), will include training in the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants and in masonry or other construction related skills. The construction of shelters by the community, with the assistance of AIDMI, will save precious resources as well as retaining the ownership of the original house and its original design. A school safety initiative will include the installation of fire extinguishers in the schools. Community capacity building will be achieved through exposure visits and market links, and will utilize the networks built through Chamber of Commerce and Industries for Small Businesses (CCISB), which was created in 2004 with the support of AIDMI to provide a rotating find for small businesses. A key component of the project is research and advocacy - three studies capturing local knowledge will be conducted in all five villages, and the findings shared regionally. In addition, four monthly newsletters on Awareness of Relief and Compensation Rights will be published, covering findings from related work in South Asian countries, resulting in lateral field level learning.