Overview
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan borders India, China, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Arabian Sea. Its Indus River is 1,000 miles long and flows through the country's center. North Pakistan has some of the world's tallest mountains including K2. Most of the terrain in northern Pakistan is mountainous, and the fertile Indus River Valley in the country's center is flat. Pakistan is earthquake-pone, and the rainy season (July-August) causes frequent flooding of the Indus River.

Pakistan is an impoverished and underdeveloped country. Much of Pakistan's history is reflective of events that have occurred during the past 54 years Decades of disparate governmental leadership, including civilian rule, military rule, and democracy are recorded. Pakistan's history also chronicles the ongoing territorial disputes over the Kashmir region with neighboring India that led to wars in 1949, 1965, 1971, and 1999.

An earthquake registering a magnitude of 7.6 struck Kashmir on October 8, 2005, killing more than 73,000 people–18,000 of whom were children. Millions were left homeless by the quake that destroyed half of the region's capital city, Muzaffarabad.

Nearly 38 percent of children under age 5 are critically under-weight and at least 12 percent of their mothers are malnourished. More children less than one-year-old die in Pakistan than in India or Lesotho.

Official figures list literacy rate higher; however, independent experts believe overall literacy is fewer than 30 percent and 12 percent for girls and women. In rural areas of the Northwest Frontier province of Pakistan girls' literacy rate is less than 10 percent.

World Vision’s Work
Many activities are under way to help meet the needs of children and families who survived the October 8, 2005 earthquake. More than 240,000 people have benefited from World Vision's rapid response. Relief efforts included 15 air-cargo deliveries of relief supplies, food, and non-food items (such as blankets, tarpaulins, and winterized tents). A World Vision medical team treated some 1,550 people during a nine-day mission directly after the quake. Dozens of these individuals would have lost their limbs or lives if not for the team. World Vision plans to facilitate the resettlement and reintegration of 500 households and rebuild 80 schools in the earthquake affected areas.

World Vision has worked in the poorest areas of Pakistan since 1992. World Vision’s work in the Northwest Frontier and Punjab Provinces of Pakistan began in 2001 with emergency relief assistance and supported transformational development initiatives.

Additionally, empowering children and parents to participate in the transformational development process, promoting gender equality, and encouraging just and peaceful relationships among individuals, families, ethnically diverse communities, and the government have been among World Vision's key priorities in Pakistan.

World Vision also launched a groundbreaking aid distribution into the forbidden tribal area of the BlackMountain after discovering 13,000 households had received little or no help–four months after the earthquake. In partnership with local agencies, World Vision has supplied more than 1,600 households with non-food items since February. Other support programs are being planned with the consent of tribal leaders.

The safe migration of those in temporary camps back to their home villages is a huge challenge. Many will need to reconstruct their homes and re-establish their livelihoods. World Vision's multi-year development efforts will include livelihood recovery, food security, child protection, and disaster preparedness and mitigation. World Vision is committed to delivering humanitarian emergency assistance including disaster preparedness and mitigation assistance before natural disasters strike the multi-hazard disaster-prone area.