UNCERTAIN FUTURE: Children orphaned by the quake which hit Neelum district of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in October. — Photo: Luv Puri

Patika (Neelum): Mevish Mohammad, a three-year-old, has lost both his parents in the earthquake which devastated his hamlet last October. He and two other children were among the lucky ones rescued from the debris after three days by local men in the hilly pocket.

In the remote hilly parts of the quake devastated areas of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, hundreds of children are facing an uncertain future as their parents died in the quake. Many are infants. Sharifa (2) was the lone survivor in her house and at present her neighbour is looking after the child. Some time back the administration had spelt out its policy to establish children's villages in the quake devastated PoK and the North Western Frontier Province. But on the ground, little has changed. While some of the children are being looked after by different relief organisations, others are taken care of by relatives.

It is the long-term rehabilitation of the children, which is worrying the administrators. Massod-ur-Rehman, PoK government official in charge of relief operations, says, "There are both social and legal problems for the long-term rehabilitation of the children. It is a multi dimensional problem. We are still in the process to frame a concrete policy for the children to take care of their future." Immediately after the quake, a ban was imposed on adoption by the State administration. This has far from resolved the issue as the number of children orphaned by the quake has far exceeded the resources of the state and its orphanages such as the Yateem trust have inadequate space.

The locally formed orphanages are filling this vacuum. Mohammad Akhtar, chairman of the Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust running one such orphanage, says, "We brought more than 60 children from remote parts but we have limited man power in the face of such arduous terrain of Neelum district. There are many villages that are isolated where we may not have been able to reach. Certainly the administration has to quickly get into action for helping the kids who have already gone through the worst," he says.

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