Muslim Aid has initiated a major reconstruction project to build earthquake-resistant housing in areas of Pakistan still suffering from the massive quake that rocked the country more than a year ago.

The earthquake of October 8, 2005, killed more than 73,000 people, and made hundreds of thousands homeless. In Kashmir and the NWFP regions in Pakistan, thousands of people are vulnerable to the regular earthquakes and subsequent damage to their houses.

"Despite an earthquake occurring every few years, the houses rarely have any seismic mitigation capabilities," said Khobaib A. Vahedy, country director of Muslim Aid Pakistan. "Houses and even public buildings are therefore not only potentially dangerous in their construction, but also in their close positioning."

Muslim Aid and the UK based architect and design firm Architects for Aid (A4A) signed an agreement for a reconstruction project in the area. This will not only provide the designs of earthquake and seismic resistant structures, but will also include workshops for the communities of these areas.

In a briefing in Islamabad, Khobaib A. Vahedy stated that building construction codes will be strictly monitored to avoid further damage in the future. Muslim Aid is spending more than £400,000 for the construction of 200 houses in both NWFP and Kashmir, as well as assisting with the construction of a 60-bed hospital in Mansehra, a rural health centre and a high school in Khori, in Kashmir.

The Architects for Aid (A4A) team visiting Pakistan comprises architects and design engineers. The architecture and design company A4A is currently partnering with international and local NGO's to provide architectural expertise and project management on numerous projects around the world.

(ENDS)

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