The need
A massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Himalayan region of Kashmir on 8th October, 2005. The damage extended to a radius of 140 km. Children accounted for almost half of the people who died and most were in school when they perished.
How we helped
SEEDS fielded its first relief operation on 9th October, accompanied by a structural assessment team. We were the first team to reach the Poonch area with humanitarian relief. The initial round of distribution of 100 tents and 500 blankets was completed within a week. This was followed by further ground assessments and the distribution of family kits. These includes woollens, utensils, milk powder, notebooks and blankets for the most remote areas of Poonch.
With the worsening winter condition, emergency shelters were of immediate priority for the affected families. With logistical support from National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, the reconstruction process started on 19th November, 2005.
In the 40 days that followed, it was a race to construct shelters for those identified as priority families. The process included training local carpenters on disaster resistant structures. Each shelter adhered to SPHERE standards.
We were able to help 404 families across 40 villages get a roof back over their head before the first snowfall! This was due primarily to houseowner participation being the backbone of the design and construction process.