Salam,
AT the moment i would guess priority for the region is to raise enough funds and donations particularly as the weather is getting colder. When do you envisage a need for health professionals to volunteer their services in the area? In terms of time scale how long do you think it will be before re building, re housing and re schooling takes place?
Answer
Walaykum assalaam. How are you doing? Thanks for your question.
Health professionals have been volunteering since day one, alhamdulillah. If you contact Doctors Worldwide, they'll be able to confirm that.
As you say, winter is setting in fast. In fact it's already started. The urgent need to is to deliver emergency supplies like tents to the remotest villages.
Rebuilding will be phase 2 after the winter. Rehousing will initially take the form of winterised tents, again till after the winter. However, schooling is something Islamic Relief takes very seriously and we will be doing our best to get the children into some sort of school routine within their 'living' areas very quickly.
Name
jamal
- South Africa
Profession
Question
what do you think of sending orphans to foreign countries? don't you think it's better to set up institution in pakistan to keep them in their home country?
Answer
Assalaamu alaykum
Insha'llah you're well.
Certainly there are no plans for sending children abroad. It's both unnecessary and undesirable. I know some people here in the UK want to adopt orphans but it's not an option.
That's our line and the line of the Pakistani government. Any such much otherwise would add to the trauma. It's absolutely right the children stay in Pakistan.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Answer
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Alslamu Alikum , My question is
Do you have enough money to help these people and do you think that the ramadan zakat must go to pakistan or you will send just some to them
Answer
Walaykum assalaam
How are you, Hala. Ramadan mubarak to you. Thanks for your question.
Within hours of the quake, Islamic Relief allocated £2million for emergency relief. We have to raise a lot more. We are part of the UK Disasters Emergency Committee with other organisations like the Red Cross and Oxfam. Together the fund is £25 million. All that will go into dealing with the emergency. So we need to raise money for the long term reconstruction and rehabilitation. President Musharraf has said Pakistan needs $5 billion.
So zakat is deparately needed there but let's not forget the other causes around the world.
Name
RAY
- United States
Profession
Question
Hi we would like to know who will look after the childern over there ?
Answer
Hi Ray, hope you're well.
The government of Pakistan is taking special and urgent responsibility for women and children. We are all very aware of child traffickers trying to exploit the situation.
Islamic Relief runs extensive Orphan Welfare programmes in Pakistan and other countries. Further down the line, I'm sure they will added to for the earthquake victims.
Name
Asiyya UK
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Profession
Question
can u please explain what it is like on the ground right now for the orphans especially. i heard there is lot of aid but not enough ways of getting it to the victims
Answer
Orphans are very vulnerable so the Pakistani government are looking after them as a priority.
There is aid flowing in but the biggest problem has been reaching the remote mountain villages which are only accessible by helicopter. Helicopters from around the world have been slow to arrive. I think there are 72 now. However, they'll only be of use for another 2 weeks or so because of the weather.
Name
Belal
- United Arab Emirates
Profession
Question
Alslamu Alikum brother
Could you please tell us more about the sitiuation ther and how can we help
Answer
Walaykum assalaam. Ramadan mubarak.
The situation there is obviously desperate. Unless you are there, you can't really imagine the extent of the disaster. It's worse than the tsunami. 3 million people have been displaced. People have lost their families and their homes.
The best way to help is donate as much money as possible to the relief and reconstruction effort. It will take 5 or more years to rebuild.
You can donate online at
www.islamic-relief.com
Name
Amr
-
Profession
Question
Alslamu Alikum
we are very sad about it bout the painfull things when I spoke with some pakestani people and ask them about there family there they told me that allah ( swt) sent this azab ( punishment ) to them becouse these areas doing alot of sherk . is this true
and how can you tell this people that they are wrong
Answer
Walaykum assalaam. Jzk. for an interesting question which I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer.
It's not for us to question the will of Allah swt. How do we know this is not a punishment but a purification? The earthquake happened in Ramadan when all the gates of Paradise are open and all the gates of Hell are shut.
I believe that there is a hadith stating that one of the categories of martyrdom is the believer who is killed suddenly.
Name
Mohamed
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
Alslamu Alikum
we heard that the Pakistani government band the Islamic charities from working in Pakistan as part of " the war on terrorism "
q1 is this true on the ground ?
q2 is yes was that decision inverted temporarily / could you give a briefer description around Islamic relief efforts in Pakistan
Answer
Assalaamu alaykum
I don't know about the government banning charities, I'm afraid.
Islamic Relief and other similar NGOs have no problems working out there.
We've been working in Pakistan since 1992. It's one of our most successful offices. We have been working in Kashmir for many years as well and were running projects there before the earthquake hit.
Within 12 hours of the earthquake we led multi NGO teams to Rawalakot and Bagh. We made field assessments and started delivering aid in the form of tents, blankets, food and medical supplies. We are continuing to do this and are urgently trying to reach the remote villages.
District Bagh has been split into 3 areas and Islamic Relief is responsible for taking care of the people in one of those areas. Please visit our website www.islamic-relief.org.uk
Name
Ali
-
Profession
Question
Do you know / or is there any statistics on how much was the non-muslim based contribution to the relief efforts as oppose to those of Muslims
Answer
Assalaamu alaykum
The Disasters Emergency Committee has raised £25 million so far. The response from the British public has been tremendous again, alhamdulillah. Certainly at Islamic Relief we have received substantial donations from non-Muslims.
In addition, the Christian charities like CAFOD and Concern have given £100k each for our work.
