"Earthquake destroys Gujarat in 30 seconds."

Many of us will never have experienced an earthquake, certainly not on the scale of Gujarat. During an earthquake the ground will shake violently, with the potential to destroy lives, buildings and cause landslides and fires. In less developed countries, the risk of disease and infection is very high.

A massive earthquake rocked India and neighbouring areas on the morning of 26th January 2001. The worst hit area was the State of Gujarat, with the overall death toll now believed to have reached 30,000, although the exact figure may never be known.

• More than 30,000 killed
• 125,000 still missing
• Schools, hospitals, mosques, temples, roads, transport and communication completely destroyed
• No water, food, medicine, shelter, electricity or fuels
• Over half a million (mainly children) homeless

Children's quake nightmares

Children are arriving for medical treatment with chronic symptoms - diarrhoea, respiratory problems, infections, all are related to homelessness and bad living conditions. Local paediatrician Dr Shantu Patel has been setting up a crisis centre for children's health. She has already seen evidence of psychological suffering.
"Children are getting up and won't sleep under a sheet," she said. "Even then they're not sleeping in the tent. They want to go into the open.”
"So, I think they feel claustrophobic. They're not going to stay in a closed space. The fear that something's going to fall on them.”
"They are getting up with nightmares and won't go back to sleep.”
"I have seen people and children who have lost immense weight. I couldn't recognise some of my patients." “In small children, hysterical laughter can sound very close to crying.”

On the surface children seem very resilient, but as the shat

tered society starts the slow task of recovery it may be the children who bear some of the worst scars. BBC News/South Asia

The U.S. Geological survey reported a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale -- substantially higher than the 6.9 reading initially given by the Indian Meteorological Institute. CNN/Gujarat

These natural disasters alongside sporadic violent fighting have left the once relatively prosperous region of Gujarat in turmoil. The Orphans in Need project predicts the need for an orphanage incorporating an educational establishment in this region as vital. Many homes have been destroyed and the school buildings are nothing more than a pile of rubble.