Quake-hit areas presenting horrible look
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—The devastated earthquake unleashed its worst fury on Azad Kashmir vanishing many towns off the map and burying the citizens in mud and rubbles.
The earthquake had left many untold stories that would be remembered all times to come. The exact statistics of dead, injured persons and homeless are still not cleared so far. According to an estimate, more than 3.5 million people were rendered homeless by the earthquake.
The life has returned to normal in many quake-hit areas and most peopleare returning to their hometowns while small scale business activitiesare gaining momentum in the AJK capital Muzaffarabad.
If a person visits different earthquake-hit areas of Muzaffarabad, itpresents a look like that of ‘Moenjodaro’. Large number of government offices and houses collapsed and the city is converted into ruins. The local people appear frightened, sad over the death of their kins and huge loss of property.
Majority of the dwellers of the AJK capital had become shelter-less and are living in tents where they are confronting multiple problems due to cold weather. While going to Muzaffarabad a person would see large queues of trucks, loaded with food and other articles of daily use on Rawalpindi-Muzaffarabad road.
Undoubtedly, several non-governmental organisations, political parties, religious parties are rendering highly valuable services on humanitarian grounds and providing food, accommodation and medical treatment facilities to the quake-hit people in tent cities set up in and close to Muzaffarabad. These services are not enough. The quake affectees need immediate attention for their survival. No government or country would be able to cope with the biggest devastation and challenge alone.
Huge funds are required for the rehabilitation of the affectees and reconstruction of infrastructure in quake-stricken areas. It was heartening to note that many friendly countries have established their medical camps for providing timely and speedy health cover to the affectees in Muzaffarabad. The timely support of international communitywould further help in cementing their relations with Pakistan.
There is dire need of improving the sanitation system in the AJK capital because heaps of garbage and other waste could be witnessed in every nook and corner. These heaps of garbage pose serious threats to human life.
On the appeal of President Pervez Musharraf the whole nation demonstrated complete solidarity with the quake-hit people and donated generously to the President’s relief fund. President Pervez Musharraf pledged to provide shelter to the shelter less and hospitals, schools and roads in the quake-hit areas.
The biggest requirement is shelter to the homeless, who due to the minus temperature would not be able to survive in tents. The donors conference, which concluded here on Saturday has pledges $ 5.8 billion for the relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the quake hit areas. Hopefully such pledges would be spend for the welfare of victims in a transparent manner.