Tremendous response from Trade Unions and working class communities
36 Ton (40,000 Kg) food stuff and other material send so far
Trade union Rights Campaign started the relief campaign on 9th October with establishing 3 relief camps in Lahore to collect food, blankets, warm clothes and donations for the earth quake victims in Kashmir and Hazara region of NWFP province. Trade Union Rights Campaign Kashmir also immediately started the campaign in Kotli to send the Aid to Rawla Kot and Bagh. Azad Qadri National Organizing Secretary TURCP immediately left for Bagh. TURCP and TURCK jointly set up a camp in Bagh to properly organize the relief work. TURCP organized the meeting of the main trade unions in Lahore to coordinate the relief work. The representatives of 21 different unions attended the meeting including Railway, Telecommunication, Postal, Banks, Paramedics and other unions. It was unanimously decided in the meeting to form Trade unions relief camp under the banner of TURCP. TURCP members also launched this campaign in their respective trade union branches. TURCP relief campaign got excellent response not only in the work places but also in the working class communities. TURCP members collected enough stuff and money to send it in two containers to affected areas in Kashmir and Hazara region in just two days.
Total 7 trucks of food, blankets, medicines, tents, warm clothes, water and hygienic soap have been so far send to the affected areas in Kashmir and NWFP. Trade Union Rights Campaign has provided relief and aid to 10 villages of Bagh district on the high mountains, with the population of 20,000. 1300 people in two districts of NWFP were also provided aid and relief by TURCP. 5 trucks were send to Bagh and 2 trucks were send to BatGram and Shangla districts in Hazara region. TURCP lost 7 members in the earth quake in different areas of Hazara. Azad Qadri one of the main leader of the telecom workers strike in May-June 2005 and also National organizing secretary TURCP has also lost 34 close relatives in this devastating earth quake. Many TURC members have lost their family members, 4 even lost whole families. Despite so many deaths in the families, TURC members played key role to provide aid and rescue to many people. They worked day and night for several days without any sleep and rest to provide aid and food to thousands of people.
The main focus of TURC is the 10 villages of Bagh district in Kashmir. There is no school and health facility left in these villages on the mountains as all the schools and basic health units have been destroyed.
The details of villages as under,
Name of village Population Schools destroyed Basic health unit dest
1- Kotla 700 3 (one boys, one girls
And one private school) —-
2- Jabbar 1200 2 (One government primary
School, one private school) —-
3- Ratnoi 3000 3 (Boys and girls high schools
And one private school) one
4- Chaitrora 2000 3 (Girls middle school, one primary
School and one private middle school) —-
5- Kotaira mast khan 8000 5 (girls and boys high school, primary
Schools and one private school) one
6- Kolan 500 ——— —-
7- Noor Gallan 1200 2 (Middle school and private high school) —-
8- Kailan Mori 500 ———- —-
9- Sever 3000 2 (middle school boys and girls) —-
10- Choki 2000 2 (Boys high school, girls primary school) one
There were only 3 basic health units for 13 villages, which have been destroyed. 22 schools have also been destroyed.
Trade union Rights Campaign Kashmir/ Pakistan has decided to set up 5 schools in these 10 villages to start the education activities for students. TURC will provide all the resources and material needed to establish these schools, which will be managed and coordinated by the democratically elected body named Workers Relief and Rehabilitation committee Bagh. This committee was formed to coordinate and run the relief work of TURC. TURCK also provide paramedics to the DHQ hospital in Bagh. TURC also provides medicines to this hospital. Workers Relief and Rehabilitation committee is working the Paramedical staff association to set up 3 basic health units immediately on the mountains which will benefit at least 28000 people. Kashmir Paramedical staff Association is closely working with TURCK to provide health facilities in the remote areas.
Expenditure Details
This is the provisional expenditure report; final report will be prepared in next few weeks. The first phase of relief work has almost ended, now the second phase of rehabilitation work is going on. This phase will take more time to complete. But some relief activity is still going on in Bat Gram and Shangla Districs.
1- Food (sugar, rice, flour, milk, bread, biscuits, water, etc) —– 2,55,000
2- Transport Fare for Trucks —– 85,000
3- Medicines (life saving drugs, antibiotics and syrups) —– 85,000
4- Blankets —– 50,000
5- New Warm Clothes —– 60,000
6- Tents —– 1,26,000
7- Traveling to the affected areas by TURCP leaders —– 22,000
8- Telephone/fax/post —– 6,000
Total Expenditures _____ 6,89,000
In Pounds total expenditures _____ 6,890 pounds
5,86,000 rupees raised from Pakistan
1,03,000 rupees received from the International
The 75000 send to Kashmir from International is not included in this report. The Kashmiri comrades will send separate report of this money. The expenditure are still going on but they are not included in this report. TURCP/ TURCK has distributed some money among the affected comrades because they are not getting their wages. The money also given to some very poor trade union activists in Bagh for Eid expenditures. All these expenditures are not included in this report.
TURCP/TURCK are very thankful to all the sections of Committee for a Workers International (CWI) , Individual comrades, Branches for generously donating money to continue and expand the relief work of TURCP/K. This money has enabled the TURC to not only save the lives of many people but also provide them food and shelter. The successful relief and political work would have not been possible without the help of the comrades internationally.
TURCP also very thankful to all the trade unions, individual members, trade union branches and workers internationally for their precious financial help to provide food, clothes, blankets, tents and medicines to the affected people. They have showed the practical example of workers internationalism. This financial assistance is vital for the rebuilding of trade union movement in the affected areas. The workers in Pakistan and Kashmir will never forget this help at very crucial moment.
This continued financial assistance will enable TURC to establish schools and health units. TURC needs 5,00,000 rupees(5000pounds) for rehabilitation of the trade union activists and workers. An other 3,00,000 rupees(3000pounds) needed to continue the relief and rehabilitation work in Hazara region. TURC needs at least 12,000 pounds to complete the rehabilitation work, which includes 5 schools and 3 basic health units. These schools and health units will be open in tents. The reconstruction of these schools and hospitals will take at least several years.
TURC is grateful to all those who have donated for the earth quake victims to rehabilitate them.
Rukhsana Manzoor National Finance Organizer TURCP , National coordinator relief work.