KARACHI, Oct 19: Several dozens of people rendered homeless by the massive earthquake in the northern parts of the country have arrived in the city and their number may run in thousands in the coming weeks if suitable arrangements are not made to provide them with shelter and protect them from cold weather in their home towns.
Some of those arriving here from Abbotabad district told Dawn that they were living with their relatives at Sohrab Goth.
A number of the migrants have arrived by air via Islamabad. “Our relatives who had come to our rescue there have provided us the travelling expenses,” said Abid Jan, a Pashtoon affected by the earthquake.
Thousands of people, who are either permanent residents of Karachi or have been working here, have left the city to reach out to their dear ones in the quake hit areas to bring them to the city and are likely to return with their affected relatives.
The October 8 earthquake, in which at least 50,000 people are now estimated to have perished, has rendered about four million people homeless.
At least 50 of the migrants are those injured in the quake who received medical treatment at the Jinnah hospital and were later released. They are now living at different places in Bhains Colony, Mansehra Colony, Lyari and Sohrab Goth.
Those living at Sohrab Goth said that rain and cold had compelled them to migrate southward as there was no hope for basic requirements like tents, blankets, jackets and food to reach them. Both the government and NGOs have so far been unable to cover this vast and difficult terrain in their relief operations.
According to the government, at least 250,000 tents are required to provide shelter to the survivors and such a big quantity could not have been arranged as yet. Although, Pakistan is a major manufacturer of tents but the required quantity is not readily available.
International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that at least 1.1 million people have lost their jobs due to the earthquake.
Aamir Ali Khan, one of the migrants, said that he would not return unless the government assured him of providing a house, money to buy food and fuel, and some arrangement for regular income. He was hopeful of finding some job here to make a new start and save enough money to return to his native place.
The influx of quake victims in Karachi at this stage is negligible because most of the survivors are still busy locating their family members and other relatives. Once they succeeded in locating the surviving members of their families, or are sure about their fate, thousands of them may opt for migration if they feel threatened by hunger, cold and diseases.
Many quake victims have already started moving towards Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other cities. These places may not be their final destinations, says Aamir.
In the course of the Afghanistan war in 1980s, more than 500,000 Afghans had taken refuge in Karachi and raised quite a large number settlement in different parts of the city. In Sohrab Goth and adjoining localities, there had been a big concentration of Afghan refugee families and still thousands of Afghans live there.
So far, the government has not come out with any plan to deal wit the possible influx of quake victims in Karachi.
“It all depends on how the government makes arrangement for our rehabilitation,” said Chaudhry Saif who has brought his brother’s family from Kotli, Kashmir. He has his milk shop in Gulshan Town.
“Kotli is too cold and I may have to send for more of my relatives living there in pathetic conditions merely with the hope of some relief reaching them,” he said.
About those quake victims rendered homeless and now facing unendurable weather conditions, Chaudhry Saif said many of them simply did not have resources, mainly money, to travel to some other area. They could not move without vehicles which were not available to them.
He was of the view that hundreds might quit their ruined towns and villages once they got money to migrate.
“I can accommodate my brother and his four children in my business,” said Chaudhry Saif who believes that this could also expand his business.
