High in the Neelum Valley and the dazzling mountain ranges which envelope Muzaffarabad, a frightening sight is set to descend from the skies. In years gone by it would bring children rushing from their houses in eager anticipation and joy.
But the children would have been wrapped up in woolly jumpers and padded jackets, with a warm meal waiting their return in the evening. This year however, when the heavens open and snow falls in this region there will be little joy or eager anticipation.
Instead the wintry snow and frosty chill will be greeted with misery by the desperate people of Kashmir and the coming dark months are set to pose an immense challenge for all relief agencies working in this region.
Temperatures will fall below zero and with many having only tents to shelter them from the freezing conditions the situation looks bleak.
Catastrophic Situation
Islamic Relief staff in the field now find themselves in a race against time to get tents and blankets to the most remote regions which could be cut off with the imminent snowfall.
Samina Haq, Desk Officer with Islamic Relief for Kashmir is fearful that time is running out to get aid and shelter to these areas, she said:
"It's a desperate situation -- we have maybe a couple of weeks before the weather falls to freezing and then it's going to be extremely difficult to get aid to the remote areas.
"In total, across the whole earthquake region, about 250,000 people are at risk. I'm not sure people realise how serious this is -- it could be catastrophic."
One of the problems faced by aid agencies like Islamic Relief is that villagers high in the mountains are reluctant to move down to the lower plains without their possessions, especially cattle, which in many cases is the only thing of value which they still have.
They are hoping to make it through the freezing conditions, but many will not, especially the young and the old who will be most vulnerable to the cold weather.
Samina Haq added: "We do have a problem with getting some of the people down, they have lost everything and they are fearful that if they come down then they will lose their livestock.
"But we need to work fast because once the snow arrives it will be near on impossible to get up there. Their current shelter is just not adequate enough to deal with the coming weather conditions."
The Kashmiri winter usually lasts up until March and in some places the snowfall will be as deep as 10 feet.
Muhammed Niyaz, an Islamic Relief worker in Pakistan, knows how difficult it will be to get to the remote regions, he said:
"The only way we can get there is by helicopter and there are few available. The weather is so harsh until the end of February."
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