A devastating earthquake struck Kashmir in October 2005; there were 79,000 deaths, 70,000 injured and around 3 million left homeless. In response to this catastrophe a group of Melbourne people came together with the aim of providing assistance. Under the banner of Muslim Aid an emergency medical team would be dispatched to Kashmir, funded by AusAid and staffed by the Australian College of Surgeons whose members who would work on a voluntary basis.
An initial investigative group decided to establish the group’s base at a hospital in Muzaffarabad with a team of surgeons and nurses who would spend up to 6 months in Kashmir.
On its return the medical team recommended that there was an urgent need to assist a very vulnerable group of children who had lost their families and who were surviving alone. These orphans lacked adequate food, shelter and education and many were suffering severe malnutrition. The trauma of their loss had left them physically vulnerable and mentally devastated.
Shelter Aid Australia Incorporated
Out of this request came our organisation Shelter Aid Australia Incorporated which aims to work with local Kashmiri organisations holding similar aims to our charter; e.g. to provide food, housing, health care, education and safety; and create a joint shelter to assist the orphaned children and the vulnerable. This will be achieved by fundraising in a variety of ways within our community. We will also provide the opportunity for cross cultural dialogue between members of the Australian Muslim community and the broader Australian community.
Shelter Aid Australia Inc. is an independent non profit, non denominational and non political organization.
We invite you to join us and together help in giving hope to these vulnerable women and children. For us to be successful we urge you to join SAA.
Projects
A second investigative team has recently returned from the earthquake zone having liaised with government officials and with a number of local aid organisations. The investigative group has recommended that we proceed with the preliminary stages of three assistance projects;
- An immediate short term assistance project in Barg.
- Planning for a longer term project in Muzaffarabad.
- The Saweera Project.
It is estimated that this winter 180,000 Kashmiri victims of the 2005 Earthquake remain housed under temporary tent shelters.
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