OBI Field representatives survey a house destroyed by the earthquake.

Amhed, pictured with wife, daughter and newborn, smiles after receiving several blankets from Operation Blessing

KASHMIR, India - Knee-deep in rubble from their flattened home, Ahmed and his family found themselves in a race against time. The 7.6-magnitude earthquake that shook regions in Pakistan and India, left Ahmed, his wife and their newborn baby of four days to face the bitter Himalayan winter with no warm clothing and only a make-shift tent.

Just days after the earthquake hit, Operation Blessing relief teams arrived in Ahmed’s village of Jabla, located in the valley of Jummir, just 20 kilometers from the Pakistani border. Ahmed came to the blanket distribution site with a single-minded purpose: to find some kind of warmth for his wife and child.

When OBI representatives followed Ahmed to his tent site, they saw first-hand the devastation and need.

“They gave them a couple of blankets,” said an OBI field representative in India. “We could see the joy in their faces when they received the blankets. They were thankful for our help, knowing that their child would be fine even in this kind of cold temperature.”

North of Jabla, in the village of Hijara, the roads were so severely damaged that no aid could arrive by trucks. Ahmed Bhatt, a local farmer, lost his home and possessions to the earthquake. Operation Blessing set up a distribution site just outside his village, where Ahmed came to collect blankets for his family.

“He has three children under eight years old,” said the field representative. “They were shaken and staying out in the cold, but now they have something to keep them warm.”

Operation Blessing has distributed 500 blankets to the people in villages in the Uri sector, as well as distributed toys to children.

“We gave toys to little ones thinking that at least this would help them come out of their trauma and be able to play as usual,” said the field representative. “It’s a way to give joy in this time of trouble.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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