On Wednesday, 29 October, an MSF team reached Ziarat, the area most severely affected by the series of recent earthquakes, to assess the situation and whether MSF could offer assistance.
Overall it seems to be a localized earthquake. However, the hilly Ziarat district has been badly affected and there are still areas that have not yet been reached by emergency aid. Project coordinator Stephen Cooper describes: “The people are trying their best to help themselves. Some areas have been severely affected, but the overall extent of destruction seems to be limited to a 25-30-kilometre belt. Nonetheless, we are continuing to seek out those worst effected and to provide suitable relief”.
The force of the quakes has destroyed most of the houses, many of which were built of mud, and people were forced to sleep out in the cold. MSF immediately set up a 24 hour clinic to treat wounded - mainly for cuts and bruises. MSF also dispatched blankets, cooking sets, jerry cans and tents from our stocks in Islamabad.
Today, while an MSF team returns to help people in Khan Killi, a second team advances further into Pishin District to assess the situation there and a third mobile team explores other settlements and treats injured and distributes relief items.
MSF’s main aim is now to gain access to people living in small communities further up in the mountains and provide them with medical care and relief items. Most of the area affected is more than 2,000 meters above sea level with the nights cold and close to freezing. Many people were sleeping in the open, fearing more tremors.
To add to the misery of the situation, a large afterquake occurred Wednesday evening when many people were attending funeral to bury their dead, further adding to the destruction.
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For its work in Pakistan, MSF does not accept funding from any government or donor agency, and relies solely on donations from the general public.