In pictures: Earthquake Hits Pakistan-India Border

last SG · 2005-10-09T00:54:56+00:00

Reuters - Sun Dec 4, 9:47 AM ET England's Ian Bell plays an extra shot for the photographers out of a bunker in a charity golf tournament in aid of the ear...

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Macho game

At the military base in the village of Dhanni, personnel from the Australian military hospital have turned the tedious task of unloading the supplies into a game. Men and women rush in whenever a Chinook lands and try to outdo each other in unloading the most. The competition is fierce. The Pakistani soldiers do not want to be left behind.

Sometimes, the chain gets broken as the more macho among them run the 100 metres from the chopper to the dumping site carrying 40kg at times.

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Distribution process

Meanwhile, people from the village that will get rations that day are summoned to the distribution point.

Men, women and children queue up - 10 at a time - all carrying little pieces of paper given to them by the committee set up in every village to streamline the distribution process.

Those who do not have able-bodied men in their family are given extra rations on the assumption that their 'carrier' will charge in kind.

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A month's ration

On this day it is Gulrukh's village's turn to receive food. Everyone is walking away with at least one month's rations.

Only two weeks ago, food was so scarce here that these people would have counted themselves lucky if they got two days ration at a time.

They are so relieved at the amount they are getting that even the three-hour trek back to the village - involving some very high slopes - seems bearable.

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Three-hour trek

The gruelling trek begins - made more difficult by the 30kg weight that everyone is carrying.

The journey involves many pit stops but the break is never longer that 10 minutes.

Everyone is in a hurry to get back home and to show their rations.

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Clearing roads

With their food problems sorted for a month, villagers can now start clearing the roads of quake debris.

The army is concentrating mostly on keeping the main road from the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, open.

Once the link roads open, local transport and private enterprise will take over.

In the meantime, Gulrukh can be sure of enjoying her simple meal of rice and lentils.

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AP - Sat Nov 26,10:21 PM ET
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, holding the hand of her adopted son Maddox, arrives at Tokyo's international airport at Narita, on Sunday November 27, 2005. The actress, along with actor Brad Pitt, arrrived for the Japan showing of their movie, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, scheduled for December 3. Before flying into Japan, Brad Pitt, visiting Pakistan with Angelina Jolie, donated 40 orthopaedic beds to an Islamabad hospital that has been struggling to cope with thousands of serious medical cases since the devastating Oct. 8 earthquake in northern Pakistan, according to the UN agency. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

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AP - Sat Nov 26,10:23 PM ET
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt, backto camera, holding Jolie's adopted girl Zahara, arrives at Tokyo's international airport at Narita, on Sunday November 27, 2005. The actors arrrived for the Japan showing of their movie, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, scheduled for December 3. Before flying into Japan, Brad Pitt, visiting Pakistan with Angelina Jolie, donated 40 orthopaedic beds to an Islamabad hospital that has been struggling to cope with thousands of serious medical cases since the devastating Oct. 8 earthquake in northern Pakistan, according to the UN agency. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 4:08 AM ET
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador actress Angelina Jolie (C) with Executive Director of Islamabads Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Syed Fazle Hadi (R) talks with a earthquake victim during her visit to a hospital in Islamabad November 25, 2005. Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie said on Friday promises of help for Pakistan's earthquake survivors must be kept, and quickly, or many people could freeze to death as a bitter Himalayan winter grips the region. Picture taken November 25, 2005. EDITORIAL USE ONLY REUTERS/UNHCR/Handout

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 4:12 AM ET
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador actress Angelina Jolie (2nd R) listens to an earthquake survivor during her visit to Jabel Sharoon, a remote village in Pakistan-administered Kashmir November 26, 2005. Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie said on Friday promises of help for Pakistan's earthquake survivors must be kept, and quickly, or many people could freeze to death as a bitter Himalayan winter grips the region. Picture taken on November 26, 2005. EDITORIAL USE ONLY REUTERS/UNHCR/Handout

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 4:14 AM ET
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador actress Angelina Jolie (C) looks at an Afghan boy making bricks at a brick kiln on the outskirts of Islamabad November 25, 2005. Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie said on Friday promises of help for Pakistan's earthquake survivors must be kept, and quickly, or many people could freeze to death as a bitter Himalayan wintergrips the region. Picture taken on November 25, 2005. EDITORIAL USE ONLY REUTERS/UNHCR/Handout

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AP - Sun Nov 27, 6:30 AM ET
In this photo released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Hollywood actress and UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie, second right, listens to an earthquake survivor woman during her visit to Jabel, a remote village in Pakistani Kashmir, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2005. Jolie pleaded for swift aid to avoid a new disaster in Pakistan with the onset of the brutal Himalayan cold. (AP Photo/The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, HO)

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 7:10 AM ET
An earthquake survivor sits outside a destroyed house in the devastated village of Pieer Chanasi, about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Muzaffarabad, November 27, 2005. Pakistan's earthquake zone got its first harsh winter weather on Sunday, with rain and snow bringing relief operations to a halt, and gloom to survivors. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 7:14 AM ET
An earthquake survivor cleans snow from the front of her shelter in the devastated village of Pieer Chanasi, about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Muzaffarabad, November 27, 2005. Pakistan's earthquake zone got it's first harsh winter weather on Sunday, with rain and snow bringing relief operations to a halt, and gloom to survivors. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 7:18 AM ET
An earthquake survivor carries a bottle of water outside a destroyed house in the devastated village of Pieer Chanasi, about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Muzaffarabad, November 27, 2005. Pakistan's earthquake zone got it's first harsh winter weather on Sunday, with rain and snow bringing relief operations to a halt, and gloom to survivors. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 7:19 AM ET
An earthquake survivor walks through snow in the devastated village of Pieer Chanasi, about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Muzaffarabad, November 27, 2005. Pakistan's earthquake zone got it's first harsh winter weather on Sunday, with rain and snow bringing relief operations to a halt, and gloom to survivors. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 7:22 AM ET
Earthquake survivors keep warm in a shelter in the devastated village of Pieer Chanasi, about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Muzaffarabad, November 27, 2005. Pakistan's earthquake zone got its first harsh winter weather on Sunday, with rain and snow bringing relief operations to a halt, and gloom to survivors. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 7:23 AM ET
Earthquake survivors carry bottles of water outside a destroyed house in the devastated village of Pieer Chanasi, about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Muzaffarabad, November 27, 2005. Pakistan's earthquake zone got its first harsh winter weather on Sunday, with rain and snow bringing relief operations to a halt, and gloom to survivors. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 7:25 AM ET
Earthquake survivors carry bottles of water outside a destroyed house in the devastated village of Pieer Chanasi, about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Muzaffarabad, November 27, 2005. Pakistan's earthquake zone got it's first harsh winter weather on Sunday, with rain and snow bringing relief operations to a halt, and gloom to survivors. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 7:27 AM ET
An earthquake survivor walks outside a destroyed house in the devastated village of Pieer Chanasi, about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Muzaffarabad, November 27, 2005. Pakistan's earthquake zone got its first harsh winter weather on Sunday, with rain and snow bringing relief operations to a halt, and gloom to survivors. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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Reuters - Sun Nov 27, 7:29 AM ET
Earthquake survivors keep warm next to their cow in a shelter in the devastated village of Pieer Chanasi, about 25 km east of Muzaffarabad, November 27, 2005. Pakistan's earthquake zone got its first harsh winter weather on Sunday, with rain and snow bringing relief operations to a halt, and gloom to survivors. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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