For
Sarfaraz Reematullah the return from South Africa to his village
in Pakistan came unexpectedly.
“I can hardly believe my eyes,” he says, pointing
with his hand towards the mountains behind the city of Balakot.
He was born and grew up in the small village of Mange, five
kilometres from Balakot. For some time he has been working in
South Africa as a teacher.
“When I heard about the earthquake I returned home as
soon as possible. Fortunately my mother, three brothers and
my sister all are alive and well.
We lost the house, but the most important thing is that we all
are alive,” Sarfaraz Reematullah says.
We are standing close by the river. People are washing their
clothes in the water. There are more tents than before, but
still not enough for everybody.
The river provides a lifeline, so many people have come down
to the valley from the tens of villages on the mountainside.
“Only two families have stayed in our village,”
Sarfaraz Reematullah says.
Up to 7000 people are believed to have been killed in Balakot,
a city of 30,000. The smell of death still lingers in parts
of the city. It will take time before the heavy blocks of stones
and concrete can be removed and the victims who are still buried
under the rubble can be brought out.
But the residents of Balakot are not alone. The Pakistan Red
Crescent Society has thrown its full resources into the earthquake
operation. It is supported by more than 100 delegates from 25
Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies, coordinated by the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Balakot is a main destination for Red Crescent trucks carrying
relief goods. People from remote, cut-off villages walk down
to Balakot to pick up essential supplies.
In Balakot, a Spanish Red Cross emergency health care unit is
up and running, able to deal with up to 30,000 patients over
the next three months.
In addition, the Austrian and Swedish Red Cross societies are
running an emergency water and sanitation response unit. They
are able to produce safe water for 40,000 people a day, transport
75,000 litres of water a day and provide latrines for 40,000
people.
Today Balakot is a city full of people, despite the collapsed
buildings that will never again house anybody, despite the destroyed
yards and gardens, despite the fallen trees and the despair.
In a town where you cannot find one house that is still standing,
Balakot looks crowded. The first shop opened this week –
a small sign of life getting back to normal, whatever that may
mean after a disaster of this scale.
Survivors like the family of Sarfaraz Reematullah, come down
from the mountains to have get water and relief goods after
their homes are gone. Crossing the bridge to the other side
of the river we reach the road that climbs up along the mountainside
on the right side of the valley.
A week ago this road was not accessible. Today you can see cars
slowly moving up and disappear behind the hills. Day by day
the access to remote villages becomes better.
But it is a race against time and the winter.
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For
Sarfaraz Reematullah the return from South Africa to his
village in Pakistan came unexpectedly. (p13414)
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Balakot
is a main destination for Red Crescent trucks carrying
relief goods. People from remote, cut-off villages walk
down to Balakot to pick up essential supplies. (p13413)
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In
Balakot, a Spanish Red Cross emergency health care unit
is up and running, able to deal with up to 30,000 patients
over the next three months. (p13412)
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Crossing
the bridge to the other side of the river we reach the
road that climbs up along the mountainside on the right
side of the valley.(p13411)
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