The Earthquake has hit a lot of people hard.. and some who have already suffered so so much:
Kazimiya Shahali fled prison and persecution to start a new life and settled in a disaster zone. Now she has to move again.
The Kurdish refugee fled Iran as a 22-year-old for Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
There she spent five years in prison, where she was fed a piece of bread every three days and punished for speaking her own language, and three in the al-Tash refugee camp.
She has not seen her extended family in more than 18 years.
In 2001 she came to New Zealand as a refugee, settling in Christchurch, a place she made her home and says made her happy.
Earthquakes have now forced her, husband Abdulnoor Qadami and children Fatima, 11, Zeeba, 9, Aram, 5, and Sara, 14 months, to leave for Auckland.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/...
So much suffering already and now this.
and there was this:
Ahmed Tani, a refugee from Somali was driving his taxi along Moorhouse Ave when the first quake struck, said he had no idea what was happening, having never experienced an earthquake before.
He had visited around 350 homes to check on refugee families, finding many of their community in terror.
One screamed: ''I am going to die here. I came here to be safe. Now I am going to die here,'' he said.
The refugee and Muslim communities have been mucking in with the clean up, yesterday digging up silt on Weston Rd.
Local Imam Hashim El Zeiny said they wanted to show the community they were part of it.
''I hope that they feel we are part of them.''
They are as much Kiwi as I am. No doubt about it.
This disaster is affecting a lot of communities and cultures. The good thing about New Zealand is that most of us don't give a shit what colour skin you have, what country you are from, if you are suffering then we get out and help... and that is what I am seeing now. It also doesn't matter to most Kiwi's that a person wasn't born here. Its not where you are born that makes you a Kiwi. Thats why I am extremely proud of being a Kiwi and no time more than now.
And in other news:
The death toll rose one to 148 today but expected to pass 200 as there is about 50 more people unaccounted for. There was no live rescue yesterday and none so far today. That means there has no person alive rescued for four days.
Education Minister Anne Tolley says correspondence school is being considered for students affected by the quake. Tolley is in Christchurch visiting the worst-affected schools and with 29 known to be seriously damaged, she said 10,000 to 15,000 students could be affected.
Christchurch residents have been warned to take care with strong winds forecast today which could create dust storms.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/
The Defence Force says the RNZAF has moved more than 600 tonnes of aid into Christchurch since last Tuesday's earthquake.
It says 150 aircrew and support personnel are working on the air force effort and 370 passengers have been moved from Christchurch in last 24 hours.
A magnitude 4.1 aftershock just before 8am has prompted the evacuation of residents on Clifton Hill in the Christchurch suburb of Sumner.
Police said up to 60 properties were being evacuated over concerns about the stability of a cliff face. It was not known how long residents would need to stay out of their homes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/...
Donations can be made here:
http://www.redcross.org.nz/...
http://www.christchurchearthquakeappeal.govt.nz./
Will update as any more information comes in.
Updated by GlowNZ at Sun Feb 27, 2011, 07:12:49 PM
The grim task of burying the quake's dead has begun today with the tragic funeral of five-month-old Baxtor Gowland.
Baxter was born just weeks after the September 4 quake, only to lose his life in the February 22 quake. A service at Academy Funeral Services Chapel in Riccarton began at 1pm today.
I posted a diary on him late one night... When I read his story I broke down. Poor wee lad.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/...
Updated by GlowNZ at Sun Feb 27, 2011, 07:14:26 PM
Here is a link to some amazing before and after photos... You need to click and drag to see the full effect:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/...
Updated by GlowNZ at Sun Feb 27, 2011, 09:15:42 PM
The Chinese government has announced a $666,000 donation to the Christchurch earthquake appeal.
In making the $US500,000 donation, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao extended his deep condolences to New Zealand. Many Chinese students are believed buried in the CTV building.
Updated by GlowNZ at Sun Feb 27, 2011, 09:30:53 PM
A community meeting will be held at 5pm for the owners of 200 properties evacuated earlier today.
The meeting will be held at the old Sumner School in Wiggins St, for those affected in the Redcliffs-Clifton area. They were evacuated after concerns about cracks in the cliffs above the houses, though initial indications show there has been little movement.
Updated by GlowNZ at Mon Feb 28, 2011, 12:20:43 PM
The death toll this morning has risen to 154... and thanks to whomever the kind soul was that rescued this!