Preparing for Aftershocks to the Pakistan Earthquake

A Friend writes from Islamabad.

Wa Aleikum Assalaam Wrt Wbktu

I did talk to Ahmad yesterday and we are going to have a meeting on this with some relief workers here in Islamabad today. We will be doing our iftar together InshaAllah and we will update you as soon as we have come to an agreement on what needs to be done.

I have been involved with a relief group over the past few days and have observed some mistakes many of us are making. There are loads of people travelling to the north carrying supplies, tents and blankets with them. Unfortunately, most have little idea of where they are needed most and end up wasting their relief supplies. They either take it to the urban areas and stop there or lose it to the local PPP bandits (Qamar Zaman group) in Kashmir.

We will be talking about our specific skills and how we can together contribute to phase II: Rehabilitation. We will be outlining our activities for this weekend as well as what must follow. I would like to remind myself, you and Ahmad that effort must be more than a spurt of energy that fades away with time. The quake victims will continue to need our help over the next 6 months to get back on their own two feet. So this effort asks for our commitment over a period of time. Before we take the first step towards pleasing Allah SWT we must remember that He SWT likes good deeds that are done regularly.

The north of the country is devastated. And our help is needed now more than ever before. May Allah SWT keep us determined and bless us with the energy and the materials to help our brothers and sisters, Ameen.