AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE PROVIDES $100,000 FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN PAKISTAN AND INDIA

JDC builds on strong partnerships formed in the region after December tsunami

New York---The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee today announced that it has raised $115,000 through its open mailbox for South Asia Earthquake Relief and that it has recently programmed $100,000 for various projects in Pakistan and India.

On October 8, a major earthquake devastated parts of Pakistan and India. It caused more than 73,000 deaths and left hundreds of thousands injured and homeless. With winter fast approaching, high-priority needs include winterized shelter for more than 3.5 million people. Many of the hardest hit areas are difficult to reach and there is growing fear that there will be a second wave of deaths due to insufficient food, medical care and shelter.

JDC has established a strong foundation of partnerships with other NGOs in the region as a result of its $18.5 million tsunami relief effort, which it launched following the Indian Ocean tsunami last December. JDC is building on these relationships in supporting the following projects in Pakistan:

In partnership with Catholic Relief Services/Pakistan , JDC will provide winterized shelters to affected families in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province. These rural villages are particularly vulnerable as they are small and difficult to access. JDC will cover the costs of 142 semi-permanent family shelters that will house 8-12 people each. The shelters will be made from locally available materials when tents are not an option.

In partnership with The International Rescue Committee, JDC is helping to provide 840 family bedding kits for 5,000 beneficiaries in Muzaffarabad District, Azad Kashmir. This is an area that has received no assistance from other aid agencies.

In partnership with Catholic Relief Services/India, JDC is helping to provide psychosocial support for school-age children in 10 villages of the hard-hit Baramulla district of Kashmir.

In partnership with the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, JDC is helping earthquake survivors return home and resume family life. It is helping to replace lost household items for 400 families in the Baramulla and Uri districts of Kashmir.

"This is work that we wish we didn't have to do," said Steven Schwager, JDC's executive vice president. "But nature can be cruel, and it is important we are able to respond wherever and whenever natural disaster occurs. Thanks to scores of generous individuals and our partners in the North American Jewish community and in South Asia, JDC will play a significant role in helping thousands of people in Kashmir rebuild their lives."