Love in Action

Pakistan

Rendering Relief to Earthquake Victims in Pakistan

 
By Formosa Relief Team (Originally in Chinese)

On October 23, 2009, the Swat District, northwest of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, was hit by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake. Supreme Master Ching Hai sent a relief team and allocated two respective relief funds of US$10,000 each to help the victims. Before our fellow practitioners in Formosa departed, they contacted the All Green—an environmental group in Pakistan—who promised to give them their support.

Our relief team arrived in Islamabad on November 13. The following day, accompanied by Mr. Abid and Mr. Shahzad from All Green, they travelled to the quake-struck district to assess the needs of the people. Upon knowing the purpose of their visit, the local Commander-in-Chief, Brigadier General Jamal, was very touched and promised to assist them. He told them that they were the first group to enter the affected zone. In addition to providing crucial information, he also sent people to escort them into the deeper region. Since the victims were scattered throughout the mountain area, relief materials were purchased in Khowaza Khela and Matta Villages, where the team also distributed 900 portions of supplies to the neediest and left behind 100 more for those in remote locations. One of the victims, after watching the Supreme Master Television broadcast of the earthquake, wrote a letter to a contact person of our Association, asking for help, and he was informed as to where to go to obtain the relief items.

As the affected area was vast, the military hoped that our group could provide more aid. Upon learning that Master had allocated another US$10,000 for the relief work, the team immediately made another purchase of 1,000 portions of relief materials, which they entrusted to the military to distribute to the victims, along with 4,000 SOS flyers and 100 sample books in the Urdu language, that were printed locally.

Mr. Abid and Mr. Shahzad from All Green not only gave their unconditional assistance throughout the operation, they also wrote a letter of appreciation to Master, expressing their heartfelt gratitude. They further related that many of their volunteer workers agreed with Master’s ideal, and they were willing to eat vegetarian meals two days a week. The relief team are very thankful for Master’s blessings, as well as the earnest support of the Pakistani military and All Green, which enabled them to accomplish all the tasks smoothly.
 


Expenditures by the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for the Earthquake Relief Work in Pakistan

Description

Amount (PKR) 

Receipt

Food (rice, wheat flour, lentils, sugar, salt and oil)

1,561,400

P1

Stationery for students (pencils and notebooks)

22,171

P2

Total

PKR1,583,571

(US$19,010)

 

*Throughout the relief operation, the team members paid for their own transportation, food and accommodation.

 

 

To view the Humanitarian Relief Activities by the Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her International Association, please visit:
http://www.GodsDirectContact.org.tw/humanitarian
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