Volume 4-Our World: Earthquake In Pakistan

Earthquake in Pakistan

On Saturday, October 8, 2005, a 7.8 earthquake hit close to Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. The U.N. estimates that 30,000 people died (after the final count is in, we’ll have a more accurate number). Tens of thousands were injured and about 2 million are estimated to be homeless. Early Thursday, a 5.6 magnitude aftershock ripped through parts of Pakistan. Earthquake specialists have said that these aftershocks could continue for several more months. Searchers said today that they will continue searching for survivors. Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan of the Pakistani military explained: “The effort to pull people out of the debris is continuing. Today, our focus is to move to far-off areas, whether by helicopters, on animals or through roads. If there are injured, they will be brought back for medical treatment.” There is still lots of hope for finding other survivors and lots of them. In the meantime, the volunteers have been holding mass burials and setting up tent camps for the found survivors. The latter is very urgent, as the Himalayan rains are soon to hit. There is much aid to these poor people who have lost everything. Substantial amounts of aid are reported to have arrived and are hard at work. Helicopters are busily rescuing people from villages as well. Doctors in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, have been amputating quite a few limbs. Unfortunately, it will probably continue. Fortunately, many evacuees have been rescued, and will continue to be. There is discouragement as to how many helicopters are going out to the villages and rescuing the injured, but the hospitals are doing all they can right now. Many are going to have a hard time reconstructing after this devastation, especially since electricity, water, telephones and hospitals were damaged. Thankfully, they have been restored to large cities. Still, there are two million people estimated to be homeless right now. In spite of the gloomy statistics, there is a miracle to be found in all this. On Friday, October 14, 2005, a little eighteen month-old girl was rescued from the rubble of her home six days after the quake occurred. Her two brothers and mother had died, but she was found by the rescue team under a door which protected her from the rubble. When she was discovered, she was unconscious, but upon being given first aid and regaining consciousness, she clung to one of the doctors in the team and wouldn’t stop crying. The team walked seven miles to the village, where they were directed by some villagers to the little girl’s home where they found her. She and her father, Mohammed Afzal survived the devastation and are now safe. Mr. Jan Egeland, the UN’s top relief coordinator, has asked that people give more to the cause. Their goal of getting 272 million for relief has not yet been reached. They are only at 50 million. If they don’t get enough, he explained what he thought would be the likely outcome: “If we don’t work together, we will become a disaster within a disaster. It will take billions of dollars to rebuild…To reconstruct, this will take five to ten years.” The country would like about two million blankets and 100,000 large tents before winter sets in. With all the natural disasters, a question comes to mind: “Are we living in the End Times?” What is going on? Some day we will know for sure, but for now we must remain strong in our faith in Christ. As Christians, we should pray for the souls of the lost in Pakistan as well as giving money if we have the resources and the ability. May God bless your efforts, and may your prayers be effective!