Nature's Fury - The Pakistan Earthquake photo exhibition
Friday, 18 August 2006
Nature's Fury, an exhibition of spectacular photographs by award-winning photographer Shahidul Alam, was jointly launched by Concern Worldwide and Islamic Relief in May this year and is currently touring Scotland.
Following the earthquake in October 2005, Shahidul was commissioned to travel to Pakistan to photograph the aftermath of the disaster, where an estimated 80,000 people lost their lives and over two million people were made homeless. In these dramatic photographs, Shahidul not only captures the devastation caused by the disaster, but also the determination and resilience of the people as they try to rebuild their lives.
Immediately after the earthquake, Concern Worldwide and Islamic Relief helped tens of thousands of families through the provision of essential items such as tents, sleeping mats, blankets, clothing, food packages and water and sanitation facilities.
The aid effort to save millions of homeless and seriously injured people in this rurally isolated part of the world with its severe weather conditions was a tough race against time. Soon after the earthquake struck, it was feared that the cold, harsh winter would see a second cycle of deaths. However, both agencies managed to deliver a relief programme worth over £13m within nine critical weeks.
None of this would have been possible without the help and generosity of the public. The challenge for people in this stricken region now is to rebuild their lives. And with donors' support Concern Worldwide and Islamic Relief are there to help.
We will use Nature's Fury to tell the story of how the generosity of the public has touched so many lives and how as agencies we have worked together all the way from Scotland to deliver our joint response.
The exhibition has been on display in Glasgow and Dundee and will travel to Aberdeen Central Library on 23 August, where it will remain until 21 September. Thereafter, it will be held at McDonald Road Library, the multicultural hub of Edinburgh, from 5 October - 31 October.
