Post Earthquake
It has been 5 years since the earthquake tragically hit the state of Azad-Kashmir.
Pre-earthquake, 8th October 2005, with many projects spread all over Kashmir, it was the largest AJK based NGO having strong links with the people at the community level and co-operation of the AJK Government.
The earthquake had a devastating impact upon the projects, leaving them destroyed, particularly in the affected districts of Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Neelum and Rawalakot.
Post earthquake, KIRF participated greatly in the Relief work, mainly in the aforesaid districts where it offered needed based services to more than 21,000 families. Its deep understanding of the area, the people and their needs and choices and also the weather, helped it to manage its relief operations efficiently and costs effectively. As a result, it was rated as one of the highest performing partners in the UN Shelter Cluster in Bagh.
Even today, there are many number of projects in place, which are helping the people of Azad-Kashmir to re-build their lives and livelihood.
Access to safe water is an important need of the earthquake survivors as most the water connections and storage were destroyed by the calamity. The water points are scarce and, being mountainous area, access of the people to these sources becomes difficult. The earthquake compounded the problem as it damaged the water schemes and their domestic storage capacity.
The earthquake had destroyed the overhead water storage capacity of the affected families who were facing access to water. In view of this KIRF(UK) distributed 1000 water cans of 20 litters capacity, each, to 500 families who had lost their storage during the earthquake. The distribution activity was undertaken in the villages of Malsi Bala and Attras of Union Councils Langar pura, and Chattarlass, respectively. The list also included village Tandali UC Chattar Domale, and Dhani Bakala of UC Hathian Bala and Tariq Abad of district Muzaffarabad.
The earthquake had destroyed the overhead water storage capacity of the affected families who were facing access to water. In view of this KIRF(UK) distributed 1000 water cans of 20 litters capacity, each, to 500 families who had lost their storage during the earthquake. The distribution activity was undertaken in the villages of Malsi Bala and Attras of Union Councils Langar pura, and Chattarlass, respectively. The list also included village Tandali UC Chattar Domale, and Dhani Bakala of UC Hathian Bala and Tariq Abad of district Muzaffarabad.
KIRF (UK) follows gender sensitive policies and promotes women’s Empowerment. Pre earthquake, it operated eight vocational training centres (VTCs) in Bagh, Kotli,Sidnhoti and Pooch districts of AJK that were destroyed by the calamity. Of these, the organization has revived nine centres. They offered choice based livelihood skills training to women in sewing stitching Embroidery, and Tailoring. The package skills offered also include Painting, Fruit grafting and poultry training. During 2007, a total of women were following one year vocational training course. Most of the 550 women, already trained at these centres, in previous years, were using the new skills to meet their domestic needs and saved their family income while others used it for generating additional resources to supplement their family budget.
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