austraLasia 1312
Pakistan: Don Bosco Team asked to consider second
tent refugee camp
in mountain zone
LAHORE: 31st Ocotber 2005 -- The Don Bosco relief team from
Lahore has returned briefly from Balakot where they were asked to set
up a relief camp. Now, in coordination with other NGO's, they
have been asked to set up a refugee camp in the mountains beyond
Balakot. Below is a full description of events at the first camp,
some 60 kms from Balakot. Fr Miguel writes:
"Dear friends: Greetings from battered Pakistan. We are still
recovering and all help is needed over here. I've just returned from 2
weeks in the NWFP (North West Frontier Province). Our response to the
disaster was immediate. We called a general assembly with the students
and out of 130 students we got the lot plus the instructors: 138 all
up! That very afternoon I was leaving with one assistant and 2
instructors to the city of Abbotabad to evaluate our possible help.
The presence of Fr. Peter here to approve our plans
that day was providential and we started moving within 24 hours: a
Relief camp for the victims was asked of us, just 60 km away from the
city of Balakot, that has been practically wiped off the map: in this
city alone it is estimated that about 60,000 may have been killed. We
had the chance to visit this place and I can assure you that I have
never seen anything like it.
The 60 boys selected started working on the very day
of arrival, after 11 hours trip by bus. 150 tents were pitched, a gas
kitchen was set up, sanitary latrines according to the plan we designed
(about 100 of them). Storage and management of the camp was discussed
daily in our Logistics meeting and the Italian nurse with us (niece of
Fr. Peter) with another 2 Spanish Volunteers started working in the
Medical area. After 5 days the Hospital where our camp is located
started to send local doctors since the number of patients increased to
25-30 per day.
Now let me explain the reason for this camp: Ayub
Teaching Hospital is the biggest medical facility in Abbotabad, with a
Medical College and 300 staff doctors on duty. The Private Sector of
the city came to a stop and concentrated their doctors also in this
Hospital and the Combines Military Hospital as well. But nothing was
enough: over 2,000 emergency cases in the first 3 days was too much and
so the idea was born to set up a camp in the huge fields of Ayub
Hospital that could accommodate stable patients who needed only basic
nursing. This has been our mission for the last 2 weeks. As an anecdote
I can mentioned that when I arrived in Abbotabad I realized that with
the worries about all the people I had forgot to get even some pocket
money so I had to borrow some cash for food for the boys and the first
items we had to purchase like gas pipes, steel for the latrines,
welding rods or electrical wires. Thanks to the generosity of our
benefactors the money I borrowed has been returned and we even left
equipment there for the service of the camp people.
Of course, we are still committed and we are sending
supplies of food to the camp that has grown to almost 500 people.
Recently there has been a meeting of Caritas International with other
NGOs and they have decided to work out a long term action plan to set
up a village of prefabricated fibreglass shelters. We have already
volunteered to bring manpower and resources to that Project as soon as
it starts and the Bishops Conference is really thankful since we were
the very first ones to move here.
apart from this, today I will receive confirmation
of some help needed in the UN Refugees camp at Balakot, the second city
most destroyed by the quake. I was called yesterday and have committed
to bring up to 100 young men with me functioning indepedently with
transportation, food and other expenses. I have now a good set of
pictures about our mission there last 2 weeks and I can send you some
if you need. Just let me know. Well, a lot of work ahead...
please, continue to keep us in your
prayers. We have seen a lot of generosity springing spontaneously
around us these days. Let us keep active the chain of love in the
middle of so much destruction.
God bless always.
Fr Miguel".
dbtc@brain.net.pk
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