There are a number of organizations active in Pakistan that are acting as intermediaries for providing funds towards relief work or engaging in it themselves

There are a number of organizations active in Pakistan that are acting as intermediaries for providing funds towards relief work or engaging in it themselves. These organization such as the MKR foundation are not geared towards fundraising in the US but are receiving significant support from Pakistanis. I have heard from a number of people about real stories that ordinary people and small organizations are renting Suzuki vans in Islamabad and buying foodstuff and blankets and taking them to Mansehra themselves (one of the hard hit towns) for sending onto neighboring villages.

One important and efficient mechanism for sending relief supplies into Azad Kashmir has been through a large number of workers who work in Islamabad and other parts of the country as domestic help or other semi skilled jobs. As these people find their way back to their native towns and villages they are collecting from friends, neighbours and families enough food and other supplies for their families and survivors back home. Because of this outmigration of male adult labor, most of the casualties have been women and children. The good news might be that the shock is primarily to wealth and perhaps not so much to income. Some economists and I are working on a plan with the World Bank to develop a database for villages and to determine the extent of the loss in each.

The following email from Karachi forwarded by Mehnaz Akber (a 1000 miles away from the earthquake site) is a good example.

From: "Masuma Lotia" <masuma.lotia@lotia.org>

To: <abdul_waheed_bes@hotmail.com>

Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2005 7:30 PM

Subject: Earthquake Relief Efforts

>A group of welfare workers I work with in Orangi are organising help

> for 17 villages in one of the areas worst affected by the earthquake.

> Most of these young men are originally from that area, so an advance

> party of 100 volunteers has reached already and collection of goods

> is being prioritised on the basis of their initial report.

> There is a dire need for bedding, quilts and blankets as well as

> medicines.

> With food stocks expected to last for 5-8 days, flour, rice, lentils,

> oil.ghee, milk, tea etc. and other dry goods will also be sent, but

> ready to eat products are currently preferable.

> Funds are required for construction materials to rebuild or repair

> homes as first reports suggest that 70-90 percent of these villages

> have been razed to the ground.

> Anyone wishing to volunteer is welcome to accompany the group to the

> affected area and participate in the distribution firsthand.

> Donations may be sent directly to the address or bank account given

> below.

> Their contact details:

> Name: Bright Educational Society

> Contact persons: Waheed, Latif, Amjad

> Address:ST-1114, Islamia Colony No.1, Karachi 75800

> Phones: 0092 21 665 8999, 0092 300 925 1836

> Bank: The Bank of Khyber, S.I.T.E. Branch, Karachi , Pakistan . Branch

> Code No. 28

> Account Title: Bright Educational Society

> Account Number: 1744-3

> Income Tax Exemption: CIT/COS-V/SO-1/2005-05/2179

> I would be happy to provide further details or help in any way

> required, so please do contact me, on the above email address or

> sfl@cyber.net.pk or 0092 303 729 9430

> All help, whether in kind or cash, by cheque or bank transfer, will

> be gratefully accepted.

> Masuma Javaid Lotia