Emergency Response Human Interest Stories
 |
|
© UNICEF/Pirozzi/CH_00014 |
“Building Back Better” After the 2005 Earthquake Gives a Boost to Girls’ Education in Pakistani-Administered Kashmir
MUZAFFARABAD, October 2009: Pakistan-Administered Kashmir – Nearly every day, while Mohajir Colony Government Girls’ School was being built, girls came down the winding path into the valley...
Pakistan Earthquake Four Years On: An eyewitness account
In August, while on mission for UNICEF working on the displacement crisis in north-western Pakistan, I was asked to revisit Pakistan-Administered Kashmir (PAK) along with photographer Marta Ramoneda.
Children who stayed behind in conflict-affected areas need support
MINGORA, Pakistan, 10 August 2009 – At the newly reopened Mingora Central Hospital, 16-year-old Maryam huddles close to her elderly grandmother Musakhel.
Children from conflict hit areas urgently need life saving health services
TAKKAR, Mardan District, Pakistan, 16 July 2009 – It is sweltering and overcrowded in the Government Higher Secondary School in Takkar, which is now home to 106 displaced families from conflict-hit areas of Swat and Buner districts in north-west Pakistan.
In north-west Pakistan, host families welcome the displaced but struggle to cope
TAKHTBAI, Pakistan, 8 July 2009 – “Aeroplanes would come and drop bombs,” recalls Ajmal, 8. “There were mortar shells hitting our house. We children would cry. On the way it was very difficult and we could not walk – especially the little children...
Health services for mothers and pregnant women displaced by conflict in Pakistan
MARDAN, Pakistan, 8 June 2009 – “I have nothing for my unborn child. I had made so many clothes for my baby but I couldn’t bring them...
Bringing stability to the lives of displaced children in Pakistan
SWABI, Pakistan, 3 June 2009 – “Over there we couldn’t go to school. Here there is no bombing.
Reaching conflict-affected orphans in Swat Valley
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, 1 June 2009 – “Muzammil misses our mother and he wants to go back to our home in Mingora,” says Anas, age 10. He and his brother lost their father in a bomb blast last year and their mother could no longer afford to take care of them.
Reaching the Most Vulnerable Women and Children Fleeing the Fighting in Swat
Pakistan, 28 May 2009 Hanifa’s eyes fill with tears as she talks about her children, seventeen year old Gul Shah and fifteen year old Zeenat, who she hasn’t seen since they went to visit their married sister and her family in another village.
‘We were scared’: As supplies arrive, children try to cope with conflict in Pakistan
Pakistan, 29 May 2009 – The girls in the tent hosting first-grade students at the Yar Hussain displacement camp were reciting the day’s lessons.
UNICEF Regional Director meets children and families displaced by conflict in Pakistan
Pakistan, 21 May 2009 – The hot summer sun beats down on Dan Toole as he walks around Jalala Camp. The UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, Mr Toole is here to see the children’s agency support for those affected by the biggest population...
Displaced families face humanitarian crisis in north-western Pakistan camps
Less than two weeks into a military incursion that has caused massive displacement in north-western Pakistan’s Swat Valley, even more children and families are struggling to find safe shelter in camps.
Ongoing conflict triggers massive displacement of families in north-west Pakistan
Pakistan, 22 May 2009 – Since the end of April, a new army offensive against militants in north-west Pakistan has caused the displacement of more than 1.5 million people. They’ve joined the 555,000 people already displaced since October of last year
Assisting children displaced by fighting in Pakistan’s Swat valley
Pakistan, May 2009 – Kiyanet, a ten-year-old girl, walks with determination among groups of men waiting for distributions. In one area, newly arrived families, sweaty and covered in dust, try to register in the camp.
With UNICEF support, school goes on in earthquake affected areas of Balochistan
KILI AHMEDUL SIRKI, Balochistan Province, February 2009 – "When the earthquake struck it was like doomsday," recalls Haji Abdul Razzaq, a school teacher in remote Pishin District of Pakistan's Balochistan Province.
Bringing education to child labourers in rural Pakistan
Chandian Talawan Village 201, Faisalabad, February 2009 - The sun shines brightly on a warm winter morning while Imran digs clay and loads it into a makeshift cart.
Giving Displaced Girls Access to Education in Pakistan
Katcha Garhi Camp, Peshawar – Tayyba Ul Haq pulls her white shawl to make sure it covers her blond hair during the break at the school in Katcha Garhi Camp.
Bringing water, sanitation and hygiene to displaced families living in camps in Pakistan
Jalozai Camp, Pakistan, February 2009 – It is a bright, warm winter morning and boys and girls are gathered around two women in Jalozai Camp near Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Bringing Nutrition Support to Malnourished Displaced Children in Pakistan
Katcha Garhi Camp, Peshawar – Ataullah cries as the nutritionist measures his mid-upper arm circumference. Weighing only 7.7 kilos against the recommended 9.4, the two-year-old boy is declared severely acute malnourished.
Creating networks of care to support mothers and children in rural Pakistan
KHANPUR, Pakistan– A row of women sit in a brightly decorated waiting room at the Khanpur Basic Health Unit. Outside, in the lush grounds, fruit trees sway in a cool breeze offering relief from the summer heat.
A Community Midwife Takes Her First Steps in Bringing Expert Care to Mothers and Children in Rural Punjab
SHEIKHUPURA, Punjab Province, December 2008 – Yasmin Faqir Hussain (22) remembers the fear, confusion and tragedy that often accompanied childbirth in years past.
Reaching out to the children affected by the Pakistan earthquake
Ziarat district, Balochistan province, 31 October 2008 – Sabnan Guldin, a small three year old boy, is trying to bite an apple but suddenly looks up in fear as strangers enter his family’s compound. He is sitting on a mat in an area cleared of rubble.
Child Friendly Schools Draw Children to School in Pakistan's Quake Zone
MANSEHRA: When asked what she likes best about her new school, 12-year-old Moazzama doesn't hesitate a moment. "The bathroom!" she exclaims. "The new furniture," adds Humaira, her classmate in grade 5.
'Building back better' for students in earthquake-affected Pakistan
SHATAY VILLAGE, Pakistan, 17 October 2008 – On the first day of school, dozens of children in blue uniforms rushed excitedly towards their brand-new building. Finally, the the girls of Shatay village were able to attend their lessons...
Giving Severely Malnourished Children a Chance
Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir – Eighteen year-old Nagina is holding her daughter Sakeeba with utmost care. With a weight hardly reaching 2.1 kg when she was admitted for treatment, seven month-old Sakeeba was well below the standards for her
New School Sanitation Brings Positive Behaviours
Bagh, Pakistan-Administered Kashmir, October 2007 – As soon as their teacher calls for a short break in the morning’s session, all students in the class rush for the brand new UNICEF-sponsored water tank at the back of the school building.
Supporting Girls’ Education in Quake-affected Areas
Neelum Valley, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, September 2007 – “Freedom: birds should be free”, Ayeasha reads loudly from the black board. “Freedom: birds should be free”, repeats 11 year old Zobia, beaming at Ayesha.
Students in the Earthquake Zone Looking Forward to Their New BA School
Battagram, NWFP, 26 October 2007 – Sitting on colourful mats, in the shade of the tents provide by UNICEF for their school, Matta Nilishang primary school’s 226 students find it easier to study than just a few months ago
Protection centres aim to end the cycle of child labour in Pakistan quake zone
By Sandra BisinNORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE, Pakistan, 9 October 2007 – For over seven months, eight-year-old Khairuddin and his brothers have been roaming the streets of Abbotabad in North West Frontier Province, collecting empty bottles from garbage.
Reaching the Unreached with Basic Health Services in Earthquake-Affected Areas
Allai Valley, North West Frontier Province - Her face remains impassive, as 25-year-old Habiba describes her life since the earthquake destroyed her home, taking the lives of her husband and their four year-old daughter.
Children Advocate for Better Sanitation in Earthquake-Affected Pakistan
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – “I wash my hands before and after eating. I also cut my nails every week and I brush my teeth every day. These things I’ve learnt from school and I teach my friends and my family to do the same”, beams Sanam, a 9 year-old
Child Protection Committees: Bring Children Back to School in Quake-Affected Communities
Battagram, North West Frontier Province – “I love studying Urdu and English. This way, I can communicate with people living outside of my community. I want to become a teacher!” Listening to 12 year-old Koshbath Bibi’s enthusiastic plans for the future
Ensuring Protective Environments for Quake Orphans
Muzaffarabad, Pakistan Administered Kashmir – 8 August 2007 - “Our dream is to have our own home and land so that no-one can tell us to move again”. Aqib, 12 years old, was displaced from his home, which was destroyed by the earthquake that hit Pakistan
Tackling Malnutrition with Supplementary Feeding Centres
Mansehra, North West Frontier Province, 4 May 2007 – At Attarshesha’s brand-new Supplementary Feeding Centre, Salma, 22 years old, checks Usman’s weight and height. The four-year-old boy stares at the Lady Health Visitor, his eyes wide open.
UNICEF Provides Transitional Shelter Schools in Remote Earthquake-Affected Areas
Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 28 April 2007: It is 1pm at Sarikarla Government Girls’ Primary School in the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the North-East Pakistan, and the 54 students are actively participating in a mathematics class.
Bringing Out-of-School Children to School for the First Time
Maira Camp, Shangla, North West Frontier Province, 8 June 2007 – In the shade of his tented home at Maira Camp, Abdulla removes the gift paper wrapping the school prize with the utmost care.
Making education more enjoyable for children affected by quake
Battagram, 26 August, 2006: Eight year old, Parveen is getting used once again to life in her new tented classroom, following the end of summer holidays.
Heavy rains play havoc with children’s health in the earthquake affected areas
BATTAGRAM, Pakistan, 9 August 2006 – With the onset of the rainy season in the earthquake affected region of Pakistan, water-born diseases among children are on the increase.
Ensuring Equal Education for the Disabled
BAI BAJNA VILLAGE, Mansehra: Before the October 2005 earthquake, Zahid Humayun didn’t let his polio affliction stop him going to school.
Bringing Out-of-School Kids To School
BAI BAJNA VILLAGE, Mansehra, July 25 – Brothers Yaqub, 11, Zarin Nul, 8, and Sher Ali, 7, had occasionally wandered into a class at the local school in this high-altitude village in Pakistan’s mountainous north.
Spinal Injury Patient Finds New Meaning in Life
ISLAMABAD, July 18 - Sadia was on her first visit home to the Kashmiri town of Bagh since getting married three weeks earlier when the October 2005 earthquake struck. The walls of her sister’s house collapsed around Sadia as she tried to flee.
Elixir of Life a Cleaner Shade After UNICEF Repairs
MUZAFFARABAD: The fountain of life of Pakistan-Administered Kashmir’s main city is pumping out top-standard treated water at double its pre-earthquake capacity, following extensive repair and upgrade by UNICEF
Keeping Vigil on Villagers’ Health and Hygiene
MUZAFFARABAD - Firdaus, a student, stoops to enter the tented home of the Akhtar family –an igloo-shaped canvas and aluminium shelter in the ruins of Chela Bandi village in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir.
From the River to the Camp: Clean Water for the Landless
NARUL CAMP, Muzaffarabad, June 22 – The Neelum River swallowed Mohammad Aslam’s house, his three cows, his 50 goats, his dog. It swallowed his entire village and 55 people with it.
Winter Schools in Northern Pakistan
JABORI, Pakistan: Across northeast Pakistan’s valley floors, razed by the devastating October 8 earthquake, thousands of temporary tent schools supported by UNICEF are closing down for the long hot summer.
The Road to School
An ambitious recovery initiative to get 100% of school aged children, especially girls, back to school.
UNICEF-supplied water filters helping IDPs
More than 3,000 Nerox filters in IDP camps are helping earthquake victims
Seeing the Earthquake Through Children’s Eyes
How a project helped children document –through photography – daily life in the camps in the aftermath of the earthquake
Earthquake Families Return Home
Six months after the earthquake killed more than 70,000 people in northern Pakistan, a massive return process is underway.
An earthquake survior's life in a tent camp
Nisreen Bibi*, a 20-year-old mother and earthquake survivor who now lives with her family in the newly set up Jaba camp, Mansehra, NWFP tells her story about the earthquake and thereaftrer
First baby born in IDP camp
As an LHW deployed to work in the relief camps where some 160,000 are now living in the wake of Pakistan’s huge earthquake, one of Sharmeen’s responsibilities is keeping a record of all the pregnant women living in the tents.
I saved my sister
Bilal, 13, a Grade 8th student at Government Boys Secondary School, Village Nar Sher Ali, Bagh was in school on the morning of October 8th when the earthquake rocked parts of South Asia, severely damaging Azad Kashmir.
“These days, even the moon comes out late in Pakistan”
Nisreen Bibi is a 20 year old mother who formerly lived in the village of Sachan Nadi, near Balakot, a town completely razed to the ground by the fury of earth on October 8.
For the orphans of the earthquake life will not be the same again
UNICEF has lead responsibility for protection of children in the aftermath of the huge disaster that has hit Pakistan. All children living in internally displaced people’s (IDP’s) camps are being registered.
First tent school opened for children living in relief camps
In a first step to rebuild a destroyed educational system, tent schools appear in disaster areas
A Children's Catastrophe: Youth Volunteers Assist
How youth volunteers are making a difference in earthquake relief efforts
