Who is to blame for Kashmir...us or them?

It is now day four since I started working on my new project. This camp is really something else. Let me first explain the dynamics of the setup itself, how the population continues to increase daily and we do not have either the manpower or the resources to support the camp, but we will keep trying to do what we can with what little we do have. God give us strength - *God hands Zohare a redbull, "Drink Redbull, it gives you wingsss!"

This place is a mess. We don’t have enough supplies to provide for the numbers of people that keep rolling in because we never know how many to expect each day. its really difficult and then containing those already there, reassuring them they will get pots, pans, tents, blankets, quilts, medical attention, food, bathrooms, water, security....the list just doesn't stop.

Every night it is the same routine. We have to be so careful when we bring in supplies. Other pvt. Groups come in and they presume to know all about what needs to be done. They insist our system sucks, whereas we can't get it functional because every time we try, someone else comes and screws it up by coming between and stopping progress. Pvt. Groups need to work together; they treat it like it’s a damn competition. relief takes time and these people don't even need as much attention as we give them because our energy would be better spent climbing mountains to get supplies to people who have not yet been reached, over wasting time arguing with these useless journalists and reporters who believe in breaking the system to make it work.

We are stupid that we spend so much time there with these people, building relationships, asking questions, noting down demographic data, establishing a background and history. All I tell them is let's put our effort together and funnel the work so it gets distributed evenly. We have 3000 people at this camp and we cannot deem it reasonable for a small truck to bring in supplies enough for 100 people. The givers will give and those who take, most likely those who have already gotten more than double their share, will take more. When the givers leave, then we have to tell the people who were unable to get, why they did not and what makes them less deserving and why they should have to wait longer. I must be crazy, but I honestly do NOT thing it is reasonable to bring just enough for less than 1/30 of the population, then distribute it in front of everyone.

My suggestion is, if anyone would listen, that we complete our demographic survey - detailed - which everyone of these interrupting assholes thinks they do mentally just as good as we do on paper - and then work with us to provide all the right things we tell them that the people need, based on what they tell us themselves. Our efforts would be funneled and streamlined through one, thorough source, ensuring everyone gets what they need. We just need a couple of uninterrupted days to complete the data and then the people in the camp will be happy and so will the donating groups!

They want to show such excitement about helping, they should go up to the valleys and villages that are inaccessible. That is a system that sucks! That is a system that needs crazy help, not us. We just need patience, cooperation, civility and supplies.

On another note, people around me are so in awe of the fact that many Kashmiris come to Pakistan saying they are in "Pakistan" as though it is an entirely different country! I don't understand why Pakistanis are so God Damn NAIVE! For 50 Years we have cried "BLOODY MURDER BLOODY MURDER, KASHMIR KASHMIR!!!" What the hell have we done for the people of Kashmir. By people, I don't mean the pigs who are ministers and senators and other politician bastards, but the actual people who live atop a high mountain, the people who have to walk 45 minutes down a 50 degree angle to get groceries from the closest market, then walk back up with the shit on their shoulders! When they needed us, we didn't do shit for them and now we expect them to be greatful for what we do for them? NO! We owe much more to them than this entire relief campaign will provide! If we wanted Kashmir so damn bad, Pakistan would have the people's support. Pakistan would have given priority to the women, children and men over the land.

Village Data & Updates

Relief inforamtion System for Earthquake in Pakistan (Rise-Pak) is a website which provides and gathers Demographic, Disaster, Access, and Assistance data and maps on all Earthquake Affected Villages to Help Coordinate Relief Efforts. Thier web address is www.risepak.com

Please visit this website for any information related to affected areas. If you have any information to submit, please feel free to fill in the form and submit it. All the relavent information is available on their website.

On another note, I have officially taken another project on my plate as of today. Me and a few friends, the ones i initially got started on this whole relief thing with, have taken ownership of a tent camp that has been setup right on Murree road. All the residents there are coming in mainly from Kashmir. It is a mess and our job will be to clean up the mess, create an organized system and hand it over to some others who can then maintain and manage it (hopefully!). This camp is located on Murree Road enroute to Barakoh. It is about 1 Kilometer short of the Barakoh entrance (main bazaar).

If anyone wants to volunteer, we need the help! contact me (+92-333-528-9108) and we can see how you can lend your services to us and at least help this small group of about 3000 people. The average increase in refugees is about 20-30 people per day. We have officially done a census and I have compiled an excel spreadsheet of all the residents. It is in its final stages and then we will commence registering people electronically instead of on paper, to ensure it does NOT get misplaced.

I got tents

Hush...found lots of tents in three sizes

All sizes are in feet and they are made of canvas

1. 12x15 - sleeps 8-10 people - Rs. 3500
2. 15x18 - sleeps 12-16 people - Rs. 5000
3. 15x21 - sleeps 20-26 people - Rs. 6000

contact me if you need any. I can have them made and delivered in two days time.

More Money, More Solutions!

With the help of an independent group of students here from Dubai, I will be helping organize a series of fundraising concerts at Al Hamra III (located in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore). We are looking to raise as much money as possible so our output will be at a minimum and our input at max. We would appreciate any help with publicity, sponsorship and any other assistance.

If anyone is able to and is interested in helping, please call me @ +92-333-528-9108 or Arsalan @ +92-321-405-0432 for more information.

Just like the rugby match, we hope that this will be a success, an even bigger one if possible, considering the cause. Many people trust us with the intentions of making sure the money and awareness is put to good use. We hope that you too can confide in us as we have many aspirations for the unfortunate victims of this travesty.

Let’s SHAKETHEQUAKE!

Nilofer urges immediate food supplies for children

Advisor to prime minister for women development, Nilofer Bakhtyar, has appealed to provide children food in relief camps set up in quake hit areas. In a statement released in Islamabad, Nilofer appealed for urgent supply of children food, milk and pampers. Those interested in supplying these items may coordinate this effort by contacting her at 9202435.


Source: Geo TV

Wiring Instructions -If you want to donate

Wiring Instructions from USA, England and the rest of Europe ($,£ and €)

Please Fedwire US Dollars ($) _________________________(amount) to

Habib American Bank,
99 Madison Avenue New York,
10016-7419, USA

Favoring Union Bank limited a/c No. 2072-9508 for onward credit
To Zohare Haider
Maintaining A/c No. 5801-172877-050
with Union Bank Limited, F-7 Markaz, Islamabad.

SWIFT Code: UNBLPKKAXXX

_____________________________________________________________

Please Fedwire Pound Sterling (£) _________________________(amount) to

National Westminister Bank,
25 Old Broad Street ,London
EC2N1HQ, U.K

Favoring Union Bank Limited A/C No. 440004461894 for onward credit
To Zohare Haider
Maintaining A/c No. 5801-172877-050
with Union Bank Limited, F-7 Markaz, Islamabad.

SWIFT Code: UNBLPKKAXXX

_____________________________________________________________

Please Fedwire Euro (€) _________________________(amount) to

Dresdner Bank Ag,
Frankfurt, Germany.
DRESDEFF

Favoring Union Bank Limited Karachi Pakistan, A/C No. 812774811 for onward credit to beneficiary Zohare Haider
Maintaining A/c No. 5801-172877-050
with Union Bank Limited, F-7 Markaz, Islamabad.

SWIFT Code: UNBLPKKAXXX
_____________________________________________________________

The truth is frustrated and the facts are faded

I just received an email from someone who wanted to know the truth involved in a msg they received. This email will remain anonymous for the sake of privacy, but from what I remember when I was up there, this email paints a very accurate and appropriate picture.

I do have my reservations about what was said regarding P.I.M.S. as I have been going there quite frequently during the first few days after the victims started pouring in and I think that for its capacity, the community is doing quite well for its medical facilities. Many people have been kind enough to setup local satellite hospitals to take the load off major hospitals such as P.I.M.S. to help recovering patients etc. Although I had a positive angle about that, I am not a doctor and the gentleman who wrote this email is so he would certainly have a better understanding of the scenario.

I did imagine things to be this chaotic and the beureaucats in their high chairs need to put their jeans on and some duct tape on their incessent lips and go do some real work instead of yapping on tv like celebrities.

**Also please note I HAVE TENTS COMING IN, SO IF YOU NEED TO DISTRIBUTE OR KNOW OF PEOPLE WHO ARE, KINDLY CONTACT ME FOR FURTHER ARRANGEMENTS. These are canvas tents 12x15 feet tents and are 3300 rps a piece. If you need them in larger numbers, let me know and I can arrange for them to be made and delivered to Islamabad.**

I have just returned to Rawalpindi from Garhi Dupatta in Azad Kashmir. To be honest, I have not read any of the previous correspondence on this site -it is too painful to get involved in the petty nonsense that some people are involved in and the "holier than thou" Quranic Jargon that is being thrown in each other’s faces. If this offends someone, then so be it. I think that is important to know what is going on up there and what can be done to truly help.

THE SITUATION IN ISLAMABAD: First of all, with each passing day, hundreds are dying. I was invited to work at PIMS, so I spent a few hours there on Monday. There appears to be no sense of urgency there. To me, it seemed like just another day at a government hospital. Loads of patients in the hallways. Dozens of school kids in uniform running around, medical students involved in heavy duty poondi, junior resident level doctors sitting around in their respective offices, no attendants in sight and absolutely nothing being accomplished. There was one wound being debrided in the operating room. The CEO (or equivalent thereof) asked me to relax and rest for a couple of days! The chief of surgery happened to drop by for a meeting. I offered my services and he was quite offended by my remarks that not much appeared to be going on. I was told that in the preceding 8 days, they had placed 12 chest tubes and had performed 1 splenectomy. He was proud of their achievement. Tens of thousands dead, uncountable others injured - quite an achievement indeed. The ICU had nine patients in it. Nine. On our insistence, they agreed to send us to Mansehra.

MANSEHRA: Drove to Mansehra. The destruction becomes evident past Abbottabad. You can see the images on TV. The smell of death however has to be experienced. The government degree college in Mansehra is now a makeshift hospital. 2nd year med-students were dealing with infected open fractures, using diclofenac as pain medication. I spoke with the Swiss orthopedic surgeon running the outfit. He offered us positions as floor nurses. Literally. When I insisted that we had much more to offer, he quite impolitely asked us to leave. Balakot is about two hours from Mansehra. There is no building left standing. There are hundreds still decaying in the open. After dark, every vehicle is looted by the desperate locals. It is hell on earth. We chose not to stay.

MUZAFFARABAD: We received an offer by PIMA (Pak Islamic Medical Assoc) to man their field hospital in M'abad. I reached there Tuesday morning. The roads are extremely tenuous. There is a sea of tents of various outfits from all over the country. These are manned by a variety of people, from house officers and medical students, to high school kids. No attendants. Thousands of Indians and no chief. The hospital needed a surgeon. There is not a single qualified surgeon in the whole city. Not one. No buildings are standing. There no clean water and little electricity. Cell phones do not work. We kept moving on.

GARHI DUPATTA: I finally rendezvoused with the group from George Washington University that I had originally planned to go with. They had reached there a few hours before we did. I helped set up the field hospital. Check the map. This place is 20 miles from the LOC. It is the farthest medical facility out there. First contact point. Over the next four days, we saw about 1500 patients. We set up a two table OR and various examination stations. The major abdominal/thoracic injuries are now dead. What we saw were heavily infected wounds. Open fractures. Gross osteo. I lost count of the number of the number of guillotine amputations needed. Florid tetanus. Meningitis. Sepsis. Pelvic fractures. Numerous paraplegics and quads. People with jelly for spines. Brain exuding from open skull fractures. Ruptured bladders with urinomas in the thigh. The fascinating thing is that these people were still alive this far out. Natural selection, I guess. The fittest survive. With two surgeons, including myself, one anesthesiologist and numerous internists, cardiologists and pulmonologists, we were still busy from0600tomidnight. The army arrived the day after we did and set up a helipad and a unit next to us. We were able to evacuate about 40-50 patients each day after stabilizing them. Unfortunately, I knew what awaited them in Islamabad. We were choppered out today. We have left a fully functioning hospital to some docs from DOW. They'll be there until next week. Then a surgeon will arrive from New Jersey. Teams from Canada, Belgium and Australia have since arrived and setup in-patient facilities proximal to our hospital. Again, family practitioners, but no surgeons. We were able to send some relatively stable patients there, so as to avoid flooding Islamabad.

ASSIGNINGCREDIT/POINTING FINGERS: The US choppers are flying nonstop. Hats off to them. No nonsense. Efficient. Courteous. They flew over us to distal points, dropped some supplies, returned the remaining to be stored at Garhi Dupatta and evacuated our most critical patients out. This went on during all daylight hours. The Agha Khan foundation has acquired Swiss helicopters and was also working in a similar fashion. No evacuations, however. The Pakistani army is another story, unfortunately. There were about 300 soldiers twiddling their thumbs as we struggling to get something done. In my view, they should have been sending out teams with tents and supplies to find the countless up in the mountains that are unable to make it down. Instead, there are grand plans to make tent cities, where people are expected to come down and settle. Nuts. Every patient had the same story. Two or three kids dead. Parents dead. Siblings dead. A wife and a couple of kids injured, but still alive and lying in the open. They had to make the choice - bring the child that they thought would survive. The average trek was four days one-way.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Don't just send money to random sites. There is enough there already that needs to be distributed. Send Tents to specific people that you know will distribute them to the people still up there. Tents. Tents. Tents. Did I mention that they need tents? Clothes are a-plenty. They just need to be distributed. Once again, they need to reach the people who will wear them. The best thing you can do, however is go yourself. Find a week or ten days. Go to Garhi Dupatta. Rough it out. Do some wound care. Deliver a few babies. Treat some infections. Just do it. Do it now. The contact person is Farzad Anjum. He is a cardiac surgeon at GW. Find him on the web. He'll point you in the right direction. If tickets are in issue, tell me. I'll give the contact for the Disaster Relief Network. They'll pay for airline tickets and incidentals. Sponsors are out there. What they need is your time and effort. Once I have caught up with my sleep, I'll give you more details. I the mean time, please cut out the Bulls**t lecturing and verse quoting and buy a ticket to Pakistan. Time is running out.

Our rights being infringed?

If you support blog awareness and are adament about how blogs are a tremendous well of information for the world, lacking the red-tape media suffers from, then:

CLICK THIS LINK AND SIGN THE PETITION

Subscriptions

You can now subscribe to this blog. Fill in your email addy below the flikr badge and every update will be sent to that address. This way you can focus when you come across a post that interests you and you wont miss a post.

Ciao

Shelter Vendors - Pakistan

For those of you still searching tent vendors in Pakistan:

Tents available in Lahore
Specifications:

4X4 mtrs
Inner: Double fly, single Fold
Centre Height 2mtrs
Wall Height 90 mtrs
Outer : Single fold
Canvas/ Drill
With poles and accessories
Wedding sheet
Water ,wind and Snow proof
Ground sheet (polyprop)

Price: USD 170/each (winter tents, with Wedding sheet)

USD 150/each (without wedding sheet.)

Our manufacturing unit is based in Lahore, Pakistan and we have been engaged in tent manufacturing for the last 30 years. We have already pledged a huge percentage of our production to the relief victims.

Please contact 92-300-8464690 (Mr. Ikram) or +92-300-8499126 (Junaid) jikram@gmail.com for further details about stock available. We have a capacity of producing 340 tents a day. As our contribution to relief work going on we are producing all of our tents just to cover the cost of production.

Or go to this Shelter link for a more comprehensive list