South Asian earthquake
This Saturday’s earthquake in South Asia is believed to be the most severe one to hit the region over a 100 years. Pakistani officials report that so far 30,000 people are dead, but the number is expected to rise significantly over the next few weeks. Many International and local rescue teams have been unable to reach the affected area, that is centred below the Hindu Kush mountain range in Pakistani Kashmir, and is difficult to get to. The humanitarian group Caritas Australia is working with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) organisation, already based in India and Pakistan. The group is currently conducting assessments to determine what type of aid is needed. They are expected to arrive to India’s Jammu and Pakistan’s Muzzarafad in the Kashmir region in the next few days. The Wire’s Hagar Cohen spoke to Marc D’Silva from CRS in New Delhi about his initial assessment.