Up The North Western Frontier Province, Pakistan

[ikelah]

I was in Pakistan during the October 2005 earthquake that hit Azad Kashmir and th North West Frontier Province(NWFP) Pakistan.

I was a volounteer cum team leader under the second mission organised by Global Peace Mission, Malaysia. The 3 of us, 2 doctors and a medical assistant are to relief the earlier team on D10. We usually stayed for about 10 to 14 days on a particullar mision.

We started off from KLIA to Bangkok then straight to Lahore Pakistan. We had a groud crew waiting at the airport who had arranged for our departure to Abbotabad one of the cities in NWFP.

The First Mission members were already there waiting for us with a Toyota Land Cruiser. From there we proceeded to Muzzafarabad via Mansehra to recce and observed the progress at Muzaffarbad. We were actually based at Balokot and stayed in Mansehra for the night.

To cut short, it was a great journey of understanding the people and their country beside giving a hand to those in need.

All taken with D50 kit bought the evening before departure.

Image 1. At Muzzafarabad. Getting down the mountain

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Image 2. Balakot, NWFP.

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Image 3. Getting down the mountain along Karan road

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Image 4. Waiting for transport to Balakot 15 km up Karan Road

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Image 5. Victims at Balakot

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(I have problems ingetting the writings below the images and to rearrange the images, sorry)

[limecity]

very very very disturbing.
(nice photos though)

how did you get involve in this programme? anyway I can join?

[ikelah]

Thanks.

As they are a medical relief team, one to have a proper medical training or knowledge; such as nursing, medical emergencies and care.

They also have the support group who are mostly varsity students and their full time staff who help the medical team, distributing vital goods, setting up temporary shelters and orphanages.. ;)

[noordin]

Very disturbing sceneries and very tragic. Natural disaster can be very cruel. :(

But you took beautiful photos and great record for history. :)

[StPatrick]

We need more people like you to share and help the world.
Good job mate. :)

[kiankheong]

I still remember the incident. Thanks for sharing these pictures. Must be a harrowing experience.

[ikelah]

Noordin.
Thanks.

It was tragic as their government was not prepared and until we left. the NGOs', local and foreign were the ones doing the main humanitarian aid.

StPatrick

Thanks. The pleasure was actually mine, the feeling of content.

kianKheong
Thanks. The people had to face the coming winter without proper shelters and thier gov just rely on foreign aid.

#Pic. 1
Victims at Balakot in Q to get supplies from one of the many NGOs helping out. In contrast of ours, local NGOs played a vital role in helping out the victims. They supply food, built temporary shelters and medical simple aid. But a few NGO was rich enough to built temporary hospitals for orthopaedic and surgery procedures.

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#Pic. 2
It was taken at a field hospital setup by UAE. It was an air conditioned hospital with mobile operation theater, lab, X Ray machine and ICU.

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#Pic.3
This old man had just arrived from the mountain by foot. He was resting while waiting for his companion getting treatment at out clinic. They had to walk for days and nights. The NAran/Karan-Balakot Road was only accessible until km 15 where it was blocked by a massive landslide. Even then, priority of transportation was only for the children, women and the ill.

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#Pic. 4
A girl in pain had an infected wound. His brother also had cuts and abrisions after climbing down the hill paths and a long walk. They stayed not far from our camp.

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#Pic. 5
By the warm fire. At iftar or breaking the fast, we had hot coffee, home-made roti and kimma before leaving for Mansehra for the night. It was not safe to stay near the ruins as there was still minor quakes and tremors until up to 5.8 richter scale.
My friends could not keep still as it was cold. The sharper one was my Pushtun driver from Peshawar.

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The sharing of this experience is observe the misery of others that we could help if we have the opportunity and to realize how fortunate we are that we are not in their place with the same fate.

Thanks.

[qqmeng]

:0 .... i dun know what to say ... seriously. :(

[joyce]

:( :(

Thanks for sharing. Very well captured.

[ckc]

:thumbs_up: for your dedication!
:thumbs_up: for your great capture!

[AhMah]

I feel so blessed to be in M'sia where we're free from major calamities.

Thanks for sharing these insightful pictures.

[ikelah]

qqmeng
thanks

joyce
thanks

cks
thanks

AhMah
thanks. me too.

[nfariz8]

:bow_down: respect respect! :bow_down:

very noble thing.. wish i could do something selfless at least once in my life!