More than 73,000 people were killed, 69,000 injured and as many as 2.5 million people were left homeless by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Pakistan-administered Kashmir on 8 October 2005.
According to studies by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, around $3.5 US billion will be needed to rebuild areas damaged by the quake.
At least 2.5 million people now live in tents or emergency shelters. Another 350,000 to 400,000 people will spend the winter at high altitudes where they will need supplies of food and shelter materials to survive the winter.
Most of the 2.5 million survivors will need food assistance in the coming months.
Tent Camps
There are currently 502 camps in the affected area with a population of 187,506. Of these, only 30 are planned camps, the rest have grown spontaneously. Poor sanitation in the spontaneous camps is creating health risks for camp dwellers.
Other shelter options are being actively considered including non-tent options and other forms of winter-resistant shelter.
IR sponsored orphans in quake-affected Balakot
Orphans
Islamic Relief donors sponsored 174 orphans in Kashmir and the North-West Frontier Province before the quake. Sadly, three orphans from the severely hit town of Balakot died in the disaster.
Since the quake, IR donors have signed up to sponsor an additional 350 children who lost their parents the disaster.
IR staff have re-established contact with all the sponsored orphans who survived the disaster. Tragically, most lost their homes and now live in relief camps where they are exposed to the harsh weather and lack the basic amenities of life.
Muzaffarabad
The city of Muzaffarabad was ruined by the quake. Roads, buildings, hospitals, schools and houses were destroyed. The whole district suffered 80% damage, leaving nearly 820,000 people affected by the disaster.
Thousands of survivors who lost their homes now live in tent camps in Muzaffarabad with basic sanitation facilities, although some clean water is now becoming available.
Neelum Valley
Thousands of houses in the Neelum Valley have been destroyed. The whole area remained cut of for several weeks as the road between Muzaffarabad and Kuttan was blocked by landslides.
Barian and Chalayana, two villages in the Neelum Valley home to about 7,000 people, were completely destroyed in the disaster.
Bagh
The death toll in Bagh is estimated at 15,000 and 80 percent of the houses in the district have either been completely destroyed or are uninhabitable. Nearly 370,000 people are in need of aid in Bagh district.
IR staff are distributing aid in the city of Bagh and towns and villages in the district.
Poonch
More than 270,000 people in the Poonch district have been affected by the earthquake. The town of Rawalakot suffered 60 percent damage, while Abbaspur is 80% destroyed.
IR is distributing aid in Rawalakot and villages in the Poonch district.