We Are Teesside

When the news reached the UK that a terrible earthquake had devastated vast tracts of Kashmir and surrounding regions of India and Pakistan, a series of telephone calls, fundraising drives, frustrations, red tape and visits to the affected villages led to an unlikely looking group of Teessiders getting together to do something real for the people of Kashmir.

Their work is still going on today. One of them, engineer David Kitchen, has written their story for BBC Tees.

David is a member of Healing Hands (North) a registered charity (No. 1117841) dedicated solely to rebuilding the homes and lives of people who live in a village called Sehunta, District Poonch, Azad Jammu, Kashmir.

Healing Hands (North) in Pakistan

The other board members are Dr Steve Bloomer, Councillor Robert Gibson, David Kitchen, Mohammed Riaz, Dr Muhammed Shafiq and Mrs Dari Taylor MP.

The Earthquake

An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 hit the Azad Jammu Kashmir at 8.50 am local time on 8th October 2005. It had its epicentre at a depth of 10km to the north-west of Muzaffarabad. It is estimated that the death toll had risen to in excess of 70,000 within a few days of the event.

Injuries were estimated at 80,000 with more than 2 million people made homeless. Many of the local population live in Kuccha style housing, often with more than one family per dwelling. These structures have heavy timber beams to support the mud roofs which acts as insulation. It was construction of this type that led to many of the deaths and injuries.

Myself and Steve Bloomer first visited AJK between the 14th and 22nd January 2006, when the emergency aid phase was coming to an end. Since then we have returned to help with reconstruction several times.