2006 Photo Contest, Spot News, 2nd prize
Photographer

Tomás Munita

The Associated Press

23 December, 2005

On October 8 an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck in the Kashmir region near the India-Pakistan border. Over 73,000 people in Pakistan were killed and around three million made homeless, with another 1,400 deaths in Indian-administered Kashmir. Many roads were so damaged by the quake that they were impassable for months. Accusations were leveled at both the Pakistani and the Indian governments for a disorganized early response to the disaster, and at Western nations for slowness in coming forward with financial aid. Eventually relief efforts did become more coordinated. International donors eventually pledged some US$ 5.4 billion towards recovery, and India and Pakistan cooperated in unprecendented ways in territory that the two nations had long held in dispute.

About the photographer

Tomás Munita

He has won several awards, including 4 World Press Photo awards, Leica’s Oskar Barnack, Visa D’or Daily News, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, All Rodas, Henri Nannen, 2nd Photographer of...

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