Aftermath/Waiting for Help in the Naran Valley

Jan Grarup

Rapho/Newsweek

On October 8th, 2005, a powerful earthquake struck the Kashmir region. The earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, was centered in the Pakistani part of Kashmir and is the worst natural disaster in the country's history. More than 73,000 people are believed to have died, 100,000 were injured and as many as three million people are homeless. The quake not only destroyed homes and villages, it also wiped out most of the mountain roads, and thereby, completely isolated the survivors. With the winter only weeks away, aid organizations worked frantically to try and save as many from the coming winter weather. The quake, and the logistical nightmare of helping the survivors live through the winter has been called one of the most difficult humanitarian challenges in recent years. Months after the deadly quake, the death toll is still climbing and the United Nations fears many more will continue to die from cold, hunger and disease before the arrival of spring. Caption, After walking for days, quake survivors arrive at a helipad run by aid agencies only to find out that the tents and blankets have run out.

Jan Grarup, "Aftermath/Waiting for Help in the Naran Valley," in POYi Archive, Item #35889, http://archive.poy.org/index.php/items/show/35889 (accessed June 8, 2025).