Letter from Aamer Ahmed Khan, Pakistan Editor, BBC News Online

Note from Aamer Ahmed Khan, It's a personal note, but it's informative and underlines the urgency of the situation.

I am in Kashmir, spending most of the time up in the mountains for the
last four days. Am here for another two, after which, I think, I will
find it difficult to continue without a break.

I tried calling you earlier but your cell was off.

The situation in the mountains remains unremittingly grim. The
battle for survival of the Kashmiri mountain people is such an
incredible story - and the one that the army now seems determined to
suppress – that anyone who has not seen it happening is unlikely to
believe it.

A 78-year-old blind man - holding on to his ageing wife climbing
5300-ft up a hill from his village, descending 5300-ft on the other
side, getting two bottles of water (with his wife getting a kilo of
sugar and five packets of biscuits), climbing 5300-ft back to the top
of the hill, descending the same distance to get back to his village.
All for the only survivor in his family - a five year old child who is
left in the care of a neighbour all this time. This couple will do the
same routine every second day till the snow cuts off their only topsy
turvy and at places exceedingly dangerous route to life. After that,
all they can do is wait to die.

This is a real life story Haamid, and one of pehaps tens of thousands
that are unfolding in the mountains of Kashmir.

There is no time left to arrange for these people's housing. I have
seen many villages by now, and people have salvaged corrugated tin
roofs, and some damaged wooden beams to erect temporary shelter for
themselves. Most of these structures are only about four to five feet
high but they do provide good insulation from the cold.

We have to find a way of getting enough rations to these people to get
them through the winter months. That is TOP PRIORITY. I wish one knew
a powerful enough language to get this message across. On their own,
these people cannot store for the winter. Rations have to be delivered
to them, period. There is no other way. Even if I repeat this one
million times, I would still be understating the urgency of this
situation.

And please, the less said about the army's antics the better. As
expected, it has taken the most convenient line that people are lying
when they say they have gotten nothing. It has no understanding of the
situation.

Can you please discuss within your circle ways and means of raising
awareness about this? Perhaps an appeal to political parties to
mobilise their workers into delivering relief to these people? I know
I am clutching at straws here but that is exactly how desperate the
situation is.

Tens of thousands will die Haamid. I can almost see it happening right
in front of my eyes. Pakistanis are willing to help, of that I am
confident. They just don't know what to do. We have less than three
weeks before the mountains start to crumble as the rains set in
before the first snowfall. After that, all is lost. Can we do anything,
ANYTHING?? Pls think, ask others to think and act. For those who
believe in God, there is a path to heaven right here. For those who
don't, there is the knowledge that they may save someone from certain
death if they act in time. Even if five people get up and say, let us
collect what we think will be enough to feed a family of 10 for five
months and try and deliver it to them right in their shacks in the
mountains within the next two weeks, they will be saving thse 10
people from certain death.

PLS, Can we do anything??? 
 
Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2005 2:14 PM
TCF REQUIRES VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY FOR A WEEK
 
TCF, as part of its continuing relief efforts, requires volunteers ASAP
to serve in the affected areas for a week. Your job will be to photograph
and document the earthquake affected areas so as to facilitate the
reconstruction process.
 
Please contact Mr. Adnan Asdar 0300 8261018 who is heading the field
work for TCF in the earthquake affected areas, or you can contact the IVS
alumni association via email or call Ramiz Baig 03002108877 and we shall
forward your availability.
 
Please spread the word around.
 
Thanks.
 
Aamer Ahmed Khan
Pakistan Editor
BBC News Online
Karachi, Pakistan