HDF plans to rebuild 18,000 houses in quake-hit areas

ISLAMABAD—The Human Development Foundation (HDF) has initiated a plan to rebuild 18,000 houses worth Rs 0.1 million each in village Bagna of district Muzaffarabad the worst quake-struck area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Team Leader of HDF Qaiser Abbass said here Monday.
"Each house will have single room, one kitchen and bath, he said, adding that a survey is being conducted in this connection.
The HDF contemplates provision of physical infrastructure in the shape of permanent seismic proof houses, schools, health centres, besides economic uplift of the affectees, Qaiser said.
Already the HDF North America has shipped over $ 100,000 worth of blankets, tents and medical supplies to Pakistan, with more on the way.
The challenge is not procuring tents as much as finding a timely, efficient delivery system to the places where the people are needing most, he added.
Qaiser said the HDF is using a combination of land, sea and air transportation to disburse these desperately-needed supplies. The HDF relief activities included provision of food, tents, water and medical aid to AJK, besides a health camp has also been set up in Bagna, where about 200 patients per-day were treating and operating from all thesurrounding villages, including Puthian, Namutal, Satpara, Puniyali and Danna Qaiser added.
HDF teams on the ground in Pakistan have been working around the clock-supplying essentials such as food, water and medicine to earthquake survivors.
"HDF's working experience in the remotest regions of Pakistan has allowed us to reach out to those areas where aid has been slow to come or not reached, he said.
The people may contact on phone numbers 051-2852788-90 for their donations and can directly submit their donations at Account No. HDF-NCMD 18746-8, Habib Bank, SDV Branch, Rawalpindi-0814, Qaiser informed.—APP