It's slightly sad but read this mail and to think that I'm parsing it as a phishing mail.
but it isn't.
I know the person who sent it, and some of this family...
"I am sure you know about the South Asian Earthquake disaster that hit northern areas of Pakistan with most heavy impact in Azad Kashmir and some parts of India and other as well. Some of the places that encountered the disaster in Azad Kashmir are, Rawalakot, Aptabad, Muzaffarabad, Bagh and many other parts of Kashmir which includes my own village near the city of Kotli.
All of my family including my mother and my younger sister who are there at the moment have survived the earthquake and thank God, none of our houses have been effected by it, other than a few buildings in the area collapsed including some schools as I have been continuously informed by my family members and friends in Kashmir since Saturday.
My God..! This weekend has been the worst nightmare I have had ever, especially when you are worried and you have no means of communication with your loved ones and you’re not even sure if they are dead or alive..!
I want to thank the ones from this office who have been calling me during the weekend to check if all was well…. Thank you very much.. You are very kind...!
Just to keep this short, my family and many others have survived, but there are still thousands of people who have lost whatever they had during these two days. These people have lost their children, their relatives, and many of their close friends.
In Muzaffarabad, Aptabad, Bagh and Rawalakot complete villages and towns have been wiped out. There are dead bodies lying in the rubble and survivors struggling to find shelter and food with no official aid provided yet. The ones that are alive are struggling to clear the rubble using basic home tools and many using their bare hands.
These parts of Kashmir are quite cold and wet at this time of the year which is fuel to an already lit fire at this stage as a combination of rains and tremors from the after shocks are causing many land slides destroying the destroyed already.
I want to say that I am, an active member of a non-government and not-for-profit civil society organisation that is registered under Societies Act 1860 with the Azad Govt of the State of Jammu & Kashmir called “Sukhi Development Foundation” as a director of the NGO providing whatever help I can from here (“Sukhi” an Urdu/Punjabi word meaning “state of being happy, content or satisfied”). Please visit
http://www.sukhifoundation.org for more information.
I really feel for the victims of the disaster and I am sure that you do too, and that’s why I am asking for your help, also because I truly believe that “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” - Seneca c.3 BCE-AD 65. "
His mail goes on about the fundraising effort in the office.
The "
Useful Links" page of the site list and links to donor Organisations in Pakistan most of whom are on the ground helping as much as they can.
So. Help.
Will