This is the second part of our feature about some of our emergency relief programmes following the 2...

This is the second part of our feature about some of our emergency relief programmes following the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. You can read Part 1 here.

MEDICAL: Islamic Help helped restore and provide new medical facilities in devastated areas. At Bandi Abbaspur, we provided 20 beds, bedding and medicines at the Government Hospital which was severely damaged. Islamic Help staff also looked after patients and their relatives by providing them with drink and food.

At Rawalakot, a dispensary was set up where hundreds of patients were provided with medical care. The facility included the presence of doctors who were called in from other cities by Islamic Help. Free dispensaries were also provided in Muzaffarabd, Bagh, Rawalakot and Batgram.

In Rehra, District Bagh, an emergency hospital was set up by Islamic Help. Doctors and paramedics carried out surgery on 560 patients, while thousands of their attending relatives and family members were provided food rations, clothing, blankets and tents.

At Manshera, an emergency 100-bed hospital was set up at the old Matches Factory and Forest Office, with medical facilities, operating theatres, orthopaedic implants, doctors and paramedical staff paid for by Islamic Help. More than 1,200 patients were operated on and 7,000 injured treated.

In Rawalpindi, Islamic Help took administration of a complete block with an operating theatre for plastic and orthopaedic surgery. From across Europe, 38 doctors and medical staff were flown in and carried out more than 400 plastic and orthopaedic surgeries.

EID: The earthquake occurred during Ramadan , so just one week before Eid ul Fitr volunteers tirelessly prepared 10,000 gift bags. They contained toys, sweets and clothing for children, while adults received warm clothes, sheets, sweaters and socks.

Eid meals were also provided for thousands of victims on Eid ul Fitr with the participation of dozens of volunteers from the UK and Pakistan at Ambore.

At Eid ul Adha, 1,500 Qurbanis were carried out and the meat distributed to 10,000 families. This operation involved helicopter flights to transport the meat to families in regions cut off by heavy snow.

MOSQUES: Another major aspect of Islamic Help’s work was to provide for the spiritual needs of affected communities through the restoration of mosques and religious schools damaged in the quake, plus aid and support for students and teachers.
Monthly scholarships were awarded to students and 1,500 Eid gifts distributed, along with the provision of temporary facilities where schools had been damaged.
This help was also extended to mosques and help in the restoration of more than 30 mosques, including 6 larges mosques in Muzaffarabad.

OTHER: Other work carried out by Islamic Help as part of the restoration of devastated areas included:
• Helping the affected families of Army staff and government staff and providing aid to restore public and private sector departments
• Providing iron sheets for the construction of temporary facilities to replace the destroyed civil courts building in Bagh
• Providing similar help for the reconstruction of the Muzaffarabad Press Club and relief aid for journalists
• Restoring two schools – the Kashmir National Academy and Abdulla Awan Model School – in Union Council Punjkot so that more than 200 students could complete their academic year
• Providing tents and shelters to the Saran Children Academy in Tadah District Manshera and the costs for 100 children to continue studying until the end of the academic year.