Following the catastrophic earthquake in 2005 a great deal of international aid came to Pakistan to assist in the recovery. The Pakistan controlled parts of Kashmir were amongst the worst hit.
The Australian Defence Force established a hospital in Dhanni in Azad Kashmir and we were fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the hospital, arriving there by helicopter. My first time in a helicopter and I was thrilled.
When I saw how steep the hills were I was able to understand how precarious the homes had been and how easy it was for them to be vulnerable to earthquakes and land slides.
Traditional enmities over the area between Pakistan and India were largely set aside during the emergency. India provided aid and assistance and manpower to help.
