Helping Hands to rehabilitate 500 quake prone families

ISLAMABAD—Farooq Bahawal Haq Shah, Chairman Helping Hands for needy issued for the appropriate display, dissemination and general awareness, the future rehabilitation programme, for the quake affectees at a press conference, here the other day. He said that the organization targets to settle some 500 disaster prone families. The rehabilitation plan would be carried out by building schools, hospitals and constructing model houses in the calamity struck areas in order to accommodate some 4000 people. Helping Hands for the needy has also settled 38 families in Rawalpindi. A major rehabilitation programme is underway to proscribe any such migrations of the victims towards twin cities and other cities of Pakistan. This will restore the confidence of the victims and bring normalcy to the disaster struck areas.
Yvonne Ridley, the British journalist who converted to Islam after being held by Taliban, was also present at the occasion. She said that she is the "Good Will Ambassador" of the Helping Hands for the needy. On referring to the rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations conducted by the organization she loudly appreciated the efforts made by the organization in minimizing the ordeal of the "Needy People" in the disaster inflicted areas. Albeit a colossal task of rehabilitation lies ahead, she added.
On referring to the role of the Western media, she unleashed the duplicity of the West by saying that it is showing the apathy towards the disaster victims. She regretted that the West could not feel the plight of the olive skin, only because it is not ordained on the White Skin. Since the catastrophe is ten folds more than the Tsunami, it needs ten times greater attention by the World. "Had the damage been inflicted to the Western tourist resorts, the ongoing indifference would have been transformed into consolation of the victims. She also narrated to the positive changes that Islam has brought in her life.
Explaining the rescue and relief operations conducted by the NGO, Tariq Rahman informed the audience that the Helping Hands for the needy is conducting its functions for the quake victims quite successfully. It has set up 3 permanent tent colonies at Rangla in Bagh, at Jhangi Abbottabad and at Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad. The mentioned colonies are used as sanctuary for the destitute. Food, shelter, blankets, daily amenities and the clothing is provided by the organization to an extent of 1100 people. 250 trucks of relief goods, tents, medicine, blankets, clothing and food items have been dispatched so far. 1287 litres of water has been transported to the camps for drinking and the sanitary purposes.
The camps are also used as field hospitals. Teams of general physicians, orthopaedics surgeons and dermatologists from Pakistan, UK and Australia are serving at the camps. The medicines and full pre-op care to the patients is provided free of charge by the organization. Moreover 3 ambulances are also deployed at the field hospitals to commence the emergency patients to the camps.
On request of the Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH), the organization has provided required infrastructure to increase the capacity of the hospital. The infrastructure includes 50 additional beds, quills, pillows and sheets etc. A help desk is also positioned at the hospital, Tariq Rahman added.
The MD Helping Hands for the needy Muhammad Ashfaq was invited to speak by the Chairman. He presented the curriculum vitae of the organization. He said that the philosophy of the organization is HUMANISM and serving HUMANITY is the primary goal. There is NO discrimination of colour, race, language, nationality, gender, sect or religion in this organization. He also shed light on the numerous Humanitarian Relief Efforts conducted by the organization since its inception in June 2002.—PR