Relief groups have been actively working in the area since the devastating October 8th earthquake. Their challenges have been overwhelming. Fred de Sam Lazaro was in Kashmir before this week's storms, and he filed this report.
FRED DE SAM LAZARO: Across Kashmir's vast terrain, mountains have been reshaped by landslides. The rubble of thousands of buildings is everywhere. Seventy-three thousand fresh graves have been dug, and for millions of quake survivors -- tent campsPakistan has long had a large military presence here. It's fought three wars with India over Kashmir. Today the military has turned inward to the relief effort, with much international help. U.S. Chinook helicopters have shuttled supplies to -- and casualties from -- the quake zone. Many have been brought to one of two mobile hospital or MASH units.
Since October, the MASH units have seen more than 11,000 patients. For all who brave the freezing temperatures to reach here, there's a reminder that Pakistan is a theater in the war on terror. No one escapes the metal detector.
Many come in with chronic conditions. Others reflect the quake's legacy -- broken bones, tent fires, and accidents from the struggle to survive.
Major FAREED SHEIKH (Physician, USAF): There's a town called Bolicot. Farther beyond that, where they live, is a landing zone for the drop-off for the aid. And as the helicopter was landing, it basically -- they have artificial tents that are built from tin -- it came loose and she was standing and it struck her in the back.DE SAM LAZARO: With weeks of sophisticated care, she'll survive. That only begins new hardships.
The scramble for limited food supplies continues. Illnesses are often untended. Most people have little time to ponder often staggering losses.
Dr. SOBIA HAFEEZ (Volunteer): Actually, she lost the little land that she owned because of the landslide. She lost her husband, her son, her daughter-in-law.
DE SAM LAZARO: Pakistani officials say their biggest worry is getting better insulated shelter for everyone. Winter's heaviest snows are still ahead.
General FAROOQ AHMED KHAN (Pakistan Army): About 500,000 houses were destroyed. As of today, we have distributed about 675,000 tents. But, as you know, most of these tents are ordinary tents.DE SAM LAZARO: Not winterized?
Gen. KHAN: Not winterized. So winterized is about 12 percent, which is a very small number.
DE SAM LAZARO: The top priority has been to build simple one-room dwellings for those living above 5,000 feet. But cold weather may yet drive as many as 200,000 of them to lower elevations where services are more accessible. But even lower down, conditions are strained.
As their schools collapsed, 18,000 children died in the quake. Today, many survivors must learn outdoors. Winter could again put their education on hold.Nearby, families have tents but little else. Noor Jehan is the matriarch of a large extended family.
NOOR JEHAN (Through Translator): There are 10 people in this tent. The kids have no shoes, no clothes. It's cold in the tents, and we sleep close together under a quilt. We don't have a heater or anything like that. The children are getting sick.
RYAN CROCKER (U.S. Ambassador): It remains an acute crisis and an acute disaster. It's been that since the day of the quake, October 8, and I believe it will continue to be that right through the winter.DE SAM LAZARO: U.S. Ambassador Crocker says winter could hinder an already tough relief effort in this rugged terrain. He says thousands more could die, so keeping up the international effort is crucial.
That's a cause some Pakistani Americans say they will lead. Pakistan may be a poor country, but it does have a substantial middle class and a large overseas population -- among them 10,000 doctors who practice in the United States and Canada.
Dr. ABDUL RASHID PIRACHA (President, Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America): We as an association want to keep this tragedy sort of in the picture back in the rest of the world, so that people don't forget that this tragedy hasn't gone away.
Maj. SHEIKH: Speaking the language can be a plus. It can also be frustrating because you hear the -- not only the medical side of it, but you also hear the stories -- the fact that -- the destruction of lives, the destruction of property. I think it's tough at times. But I think at the end of the day it's an opportunity I think I'll never forget.
Dr. SAEED AKHTER: It's heartbreaking to see what could be done, especially having lived in the United States, and then you see it's not happening in Pakistan. So you sort of feel more pain. There are multiple examples. For example, just take health care physicians. You'll see that there's no primary health care system here. There's no secondary health care system here. There's no tertiary health care system here. Just take the example of this earthquake, for example. It really exposed the weaknesses of the health care system, which are very heartbreaking.
DE SAM LAZARO: U.S officials vow they'll make good on the $510 million American pledge. That's about a 10th of the total international aid pledged to Pakistan. Ambassador Crocker says it's not only the right humanitarian thing to do, it's also important symbolically.
Captain CHRISTOPHER ARCHER (MASH Chaplain): I had an opportunity to meet with the imam. He came over into this chapel, and we sat down for about an hour and just conversed with one another. He said, "I wanted to be sure to let you know that we're very thankful that you're here." So I think we're making a positive impact, from what I can see. People are very appreciative.
