On yalda night (longest night of year), 2.5 Richter earthquake shook Koohbenan province. Although no one lost his/her life but it led to a big financial damage and loss to residents and in fact more than two thousand houses and buildings were totally ruined. According to specialists’, more than 80 percent of houses in Joor village and Kohhbenan province are destroyed and must be re-built.
On one hand people are scared of later earthquakes and on the other hand are afraid of staying in houses that are not safe at all. Thus they have no choice but to stay in tents outside.
Keeping in mind that it is a mountainous area, cold weather has added to problems of community in earthquake.
After earthquake, governmental help arrived in forms of donating tents, heaters and kanexes and distributing kanexes still continues by participation and supervision of Housing Foundation and Sepah Pasdaran, which in fact is not enough and presence of NGOs and charities in above-mentioned areas and distribution of some necessary stuff was a relief for their pains.
After the earthquake in Koohbenan, charities and NGOs did their best to distribute clothes, heaters, warm food, packages and so forth, but residents in these areas still face numerous problems and difficulties.
Manager of Mehrafarin charity in Kerman, as well as other institutes, felt responsible and were present in the area and sat down with Koohbenan authorities in above-mentioned areas and visited families in tents to solve problems of families in need.
In the margin of her visit, Nayereh Valandyari visited families in earthquake and mentioned: before visiting these areas, I couldn’t imagine that earthquake in Yalda night led to such great damage and financial loss to houses, which made people step out of houses and live in tents.
She added: I observed problems and poverty of residents in the area, residents that have to work very hard in mines to risk their lives to afford expenses of their families, they go deep down in coal mines to earn money but only God knows whether they will return back to their houses or not, that is why these workers and their families have a life-time stress and tension.
Valandyari highlighted: I observed suffering and wounded hands of farmers in Koohbenan area, explaining how difficult it was for them to work on lands, dealing with poverty and pain, today they lost whatever they had in an earthquake, which was maybe a house or shop and are looking in grief and regret to their sorrowful life, waiting for an unknown future for their families and themselves, still to come.
She mentioned that in early future, in cooperation with CEO of MEhrafarin, Fatemeh Daneshvar, hand in hand with some donors, will visit Koohbenan, so that we will plan temporary shelters and launching help centers to help residents.
She required all charities and NGOs to be present in above-mentioned provinces and help people solve their problems and be next to them.
Worthwhile to note that presence of CEO of Mehrafarin in Koohbenan and launching help-centers will create a base to identify needy and deprived mothers and children, as well as other residents in need.
We ask that donors help us for temporary shelters, building houses, supporting families in need, launching schools, building clinics and hospitals, just to name a few, for these province, so that we will solve problems and observe less pain and obstacles of residents.
Mehrafarin journalist- Winter of 1396- Kerman