The Prince of Wales, who is on tour of Pakistan, has visited a mountain village where the British Red Cross has helped thousands of earthquake survivors.

Prince Charles, who is President of the British Red Cross, visited the remote village of Pattika to find out for himself how local villagers are rebuilding their lives just over a year after the quake killed some 73,338 people and left more than 3.5 million people homeless.

Accompanied by his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince visited patients and staff at a health clinic that is being supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The Prince and Duchess also learned about vital recovery work being carried out by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, such as a cow distribution scheme that is helping restore families' livelihoods, rural redevelopment projects and a crop regeneration project funded by the British Red Cross.

Courage and resilience

British Red Cross chief executive, Sir Nicholas Young, who accompanied the royals on the trip, said he was delighted they had come to Pakistan "to recognise the courage and resilience of the millions of people whose lives had been devastated by last year's earthquake". 

"From the moment the earthquake struck, the whole Movement, and especially the Pakistan Red Crescent, have been working directly on the ground with the affected communities," he said.

"One year on, their continued presence in these disaster prone areas is helping create communities that will be better prepared to withstand and recover from natural disasters. We know from experience that recovery on this scale will take many years but the Red Cross is committed to being there for the long term."

When the quake struck Pattika in the lower Neelum Valley, its two main roads were destroyed and people had to wait for five days until the first rescue helicopter reached the village.

The British Red Cross raised £18million when it launched its earthquake appeal last year. In the six months after the quake an incredible £16 million was spent bringing emergency relief items to those affected by the disaster, including 197,330 hygiene kits and 6,600 winter tents.

The British Red Cross is currently supporting vulnerable communities by ensuring they have sufficient shelter for the upcoming winter and also helping people rebuild their livelihoods through the distribution of seeds and tools.

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