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WWHL and Relief Work
In emergencies and disasters; relief work is the big concern of Women Workers Help Line. In recent flood Pakistan’s entire infrastructure has been destroyed and about 20 million people have been dispersed. The flooding has threatened electricity generation plants, forcing units to shut down in a country already suffering a crippling energy crisis. Large numbers of livestock have been swept away and crops soaked in the floods. Wheat, Cotton, rice, and sugar crops have all suffered damage and fruit orchards have been washed away in a country where agriculture is a mainstay of the economy. WWHL is struggling to help the flood affectees by raisings funds through its relief camps at Lahore in Punjab and at Mardan in Khaibar Pukhtoonkhawh. WWHL is focusing to provide food, kitchen item, bedding & tenting, medicine and clothing to the affectees. Initially WWHL sent a truck full of food articles, drinking water, ready made dresses for children and females to Kot Addu in Southern Punjab.
In 2009 during Waziristan Operation against Taliban; a large numbers of people migrated to Punjab and other provinces. WWHL raised money for IDPs through its relief camps at key place of Lahore and provided food, medicine, clothing and bedding to IDPs. WWHL team visited the IDPs camps and explored the needs of women and children.
In 2005 earthquake WWHL raised huge funds for earthquake affectees and also provide a large number of food articles, medicine, clothing and shelters. In 2005 earthquake WWHL also organize mobile medical camps for 5 days in which 6 doctors and 2 lady health workers facilitate the women and children especially pregnant women and new born child. Medicine having the amount of more than Rs.100,000 had been distributed in these medical camps also.
WWHL and South Asian Human Rights Activists During Fund Raising at The Mall, Lahore
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Riffat Maqsood 
Bushra Khaliq (General Secretary)
Sita Kumari (Nepali Parlimentarian)
Nalini Rathnaraja ( Women Activist from Sri Lanka)
South Asian Activists Raising Funds at Labor Relief Camp
Indian Activists during Fund Raising at Labor Relief Camp
1st WWHL Medical Relief Camp at District Bagh-Azad Kashmir
Women Workers Help Line (WWHL) organized a 4-day mobile medical relief camp for women and children in the up mountain areas of worst hit district Bagh of Azad Kashmir from 28th to 31st October 2005. The purpose of the activity was to provide medicines and consultations to ailing mothers, pregnant women and small children and distribute warm clothing among much needy new–born babies.
A five-member team comprising Bushra Khaliq, Nazli Javed (LHV) Areeqa Munir ( senior gynea assistant) Muhammad Aslam and Abdul Khaliq ( researcher) left for Paniola on 28th October. The team visited several remote areas including Paniola, Bagh City, Charoti, Airh Gali, Camrota, Jhola Nara and Surmeela
After reaching Paniola the team had a quick meeting with local contacts and decided to immediately visit the worst hit areas of Bagh. After discussion with the local activists it was decided to move to remote villages at the up mountains, at 6600 height and above, which were in fact skipped by other relief teams.
During the three day tour the team provided medical services to 400 people including pregnant women, mothers, small children and elderly people. Moreover, about 50 new-born babies were provided warm clothing.
Following are some major impressions gathered by the team.
About 60 percent of the Bagh city is completely demolished, but life is limping to normalcy.
Since most of the hospitals and dispensaries are demolished, so the patients are in distress and need medicines at their doorstep, especially when the winter is fast approaching.
Much of the attention is being given to the seriously injured, but no body is going to realize the degree of threat to life of pregnant mothers and new-born babies.
Women, mothers and children living in pathetic conditions in the tent cities. The tents are very small and lacked basic necessities, especially medicines and warm clothing.
Women and children are suffering from various diseases especially pneumonia, dysentery and skin allergy.
Only two army men were found removing debris manually from the boys boarding house, which indicates resigned state of mind on the part of the state.
The medical teams have shifted to forward areas for rescue and relief. The result is that the people who got the first aid are now left in the middle and there is no follow up of these injured and ailing people including pregnant mothers, small children and the elderly.
At various places people requested the team to revisit their areas as we were the only and first team which got there to provide follow up medical relief to mothers and children.
Considering the rising number of patients, the team had to extend stay and visited some remote villages where is nothing like medical facility.
People are thankful to organizations and general masses but are critical about behavior and methodology of army men regarding distribution of food items and other aid.
People complained that the army men were not providing the exact relief items, being provided by the western countries; rather they are replacing these items with the local stuff.
Some male patients at Jhlan Nara shouted at the team for not being provided with medicines. They got angry and said who is responsible, where should we go for treatment and medicine. We had no answer. Anyhow the team felt pressurized to provide them medical facility.
As a result of the tragedy social issues are fast emerging. There are some tent theft cases also reported.
2nd WWHL Medical Relief Camp at District Bagh-Azad Kashmir
A large number of children and women are suffering from cold related diseases like pneumonia, dysentery, diarrhea, chest infection, flu, cough fever and scabies in Paniola and Bagh, Kshmir.
Women workers Help Line (WWHL) organized its second Mobile Medical Relief Camp in different areas of Kashmir including Paniola, Surmila, Nakkar and Bagh on 27th - 28th of November in collaboration with Pakistan Medical Association, Toba Tek Singh with financial assistance of Labor Relief Campaign.
Children are contracting pneumonia and dysentery because of inadequate shelter and warm clothing. In one tent city of Bagh in Kashmir, where 45 families were settled, more than 60 children were severely caught by pneumonia and dysentery because of cold and dirty water. One four - year girl was died with pneumonia a day before in a medical camp of Bagh.
Weather has become so harsh and intense, snowfall on high mountains and heavy rains in lower areas multiplying the miseries of the people. Survivors of earth quake still don’t have shelters contrary to govt. claims. It is increasing people vulnerability to cold related diseases.
Medical facilities, medicines, warm clothing and proper shelters are still immediate needs required in the worst hit area of Bagh, Kashmir. WWHL think that the methodology to provide facilities through establishment of medical camps is no more viable because women and children don’t have enough resources (mobility issues) to reach to such camps rather there should be a strategy to provide them medicine at their door steps through mobile relief campaign.
How can a mother bring her child with pneumonia in medical camp if she herself is suffering from cold and dysentery?
Seven volunteers including Dr. Muhammad Afzal (child specialist), Dr. Umer Farooq (surgeon), Dr. Imran Tariq (ENT specialist), Dr. Khursheed (general physician, SMO), Mr. khurram (para medical), Ms. Nzli Javaid (Lady Health Worker) and organizer Ms. Bushra Khaliq (WWHL general secretary) were the part of this team. Some local volunteers Mr. Rja Arsalan, Mr. Waqar and Nisar Shah were also with team to support.
The medicine worth over 100, 000 Rs ($ 1800) was distributed to the patients. Warm clothes were also distributed to babies.
WWHL is thankful to all volunteers and friends for their contributions and support.
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