More than 50,000 people were killed and as many as 3.3 million people were left homeless by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Pakistan-administered Kashmir on 8 October. The situation remains critical as emergency teams struggle to cope with the sheer numbers of people injured, enormous logistical challenges, and deteriorating weather conditions. Senior international aid officials have described the relief operation in Pakistan as the most difficult the world has ever known.

Tent crisis
The UN WHO has warned that survivors may die of hypothermia if they still have no shelter when winter arrives.
Around 540,000 tents are needed to protect the 3 million homeless survivors from the harsh Himalayan winter. Officials fear that they will be around 200,000 tents short. There are also challenges reaching remote areas. UN officials have called for more helicopters to help get tents out to survivors.
Many roads remain blocked by landslides and damaged by the quake. The Pakistan army is working round the clock to open roads in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province. Where roads have not been opened, mules are being used to get aid into the affected areas.
Orphans The fate of many of the 174 orphans that Islamic Relief supports in the areas affected by the quake is unclear. In Bagh, 5 orphans are unaccounted for, while in Muzaffarabad, there are 45 orphans that IR staff have not been able to contact. Of the 38 orphans in the badly-hit region of eastern Manshera, IR staff have only managed to contact two children. In the town of Balakot, in the North Western Frontier Province, only two out of 32 IR-supported orphans are accounted for. Of the orphans that are safe, most lost their homes. Muzaffarabad The city of Muzaffarabad lies in ruins. Roads, buildings, hospitals, schools and houses have been destroyed and power lines are down. There is no infrastructure left in the city. According to UN reports, more than 630,000 people in Muzaffarabad district have been affected by the disaster. Around 1 million people live in the district of Muzaffarabad and 35,000 deaths have been reported so far. Aid is being distributed in Muzaffarabad, and IR staff are trying to reach people in villages around the city. Neelum Valley The roads to Neelum Valley are not yet open, and the whole area remains cut off from the outside world. The road between Muzaffarabad and Kuttan is damaged in 15 places and officials say it take several months before it is opened to traffic. Around 500 deaths have been reported in Neelum Valley and around 80 percent of the people there are homeless. Food, fuel and medicines will run out soon. Barian and Chalayana, two villages in the Neelum Valley home to about 7,000 people, have been completely destroyed. Bagh The death toll in Bagh is estimated at 15,000 and 90 percent of the houses in the district have either been completely destroyed or are uninhabitable. Nearly 450,000 people are in need of aid in Bagh district, according to the UN. IR staff are distributing aid in the city of Bagh, and towns and villages in the district. Rawalakot According to UN figures, more than 270,000 people in Rawalakot have been affected by the earthquake. The town itself is 90 percent destroyed. IR has distributed tents and mattresses in Rawalakot. Please donate generously. Just Giving will send all donated money through to Islamic Relief on a weekly Basis so please keep the donations coming and Claim Gift Aid if you are eligible. This appeal has been set up jointly with a couple of Networks / Organisations including Accenture Muslim Network (AMN), BT Muslim Networks (BTMN), Civil Service Islamic Society (CSIS), Canary Wharf Muslim Professionals Network (www.mpn.org.uk) and Muslim Professsionals UK (www.muslimprofessionals.org.uk). There is no loss of wealth in Charity