The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Gilgit-Baltistan, visited Chipursan Valley in District Hunza from 20 to 22 August 2026 to observe the difficulties and humanitarian challenges faced by affected communities. The visit revealed a deeply concerning situation in which prolonged seismic activity and the devastating earthquake of 19 January 2026 have affected nearly every aspect of life, leaving thousands of people facing uncertainty as another harsh winter approaches.
Chipursan Valley is a remote and high-altitude region located in Tehsil Gojal, District Hunza, near Pakistan’s borders with China and Afghanistan. The valley comprises approximately 11 sub-villages, more than 659 households, and an estimated population of around 3,661 people. Due to its difficult terrain, poor road connectivity, long distances, and extreme weather conditions, the population already faced significant challenges in accessing healthcare, education, markets, and emergency services. The prolonged seismic crisis has further intensified these vulnerabilities.
During the visit, HRCP travelled through several affected villages, including Zoodkhon, Yarzerech, Raminj, Kirmin, Khill, Reshit, Sher-e-Subz, Ispenj, and Shetmerg, and interacted with more than 30 affected households, including women, children, students, farmers, livestock owners, teachers, businesspersons, community elders, and displaced families.
One of the most alarming findings was the widespread psychological distress caused by continuous tremors and underground jolts. Community members reported that seismic activity had continued for months, creating an atmosphere of constant fear and uncertainty. Some residents reported experiencing more than ten tremors during the HRCP team’s stay. Women and children described sleepless nights, repeated evacuations from their homes, and constant fear that another major earthquake could occur at any time.
Housing and shelter have emerged as the most urgent humanitarian concerns. Community representatives estimate that approximately 90 percent of houses have either collapsed or sustained serious structural damage, although this figure requires independent technical verification. According to information provided by relevant disaster management authorities, following the 19 January 2026 earthquake, 382 houses were assessed as fully damaged and 68 as partially damaged. After further seismic activity in March, some previously partially damaged houses were reportedly reclassified as fully damaged.
Many families continue to live in tents near their damaged homes because they are afraid to return indoors. However, ordinary tents are not suitable for Chipursan’s extreme winter, where temperatures can fall to approximately minus 30 degrees Celsius (-30°C). The community has highlighted the need for around 1,000 winterized and insulated shelters, particularly for children, pregnant and lactating women, older persons, persons with disabilities, and families whose homes have been completely destroyed.
Water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions are equally alarming. Damage to water channels and drinking-water infrastructure has disrupted access to safe water. Community representatives reported that only around ten functioning WASH facilities are available for hundreds of affected households. The shortage of toilets, bathing spaces, clean water, lighting, and waste disposal facilities has created serious health and protection concerns, particularly for women, adolescent girls, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities. Women and girls also face significant challenges related to privacy and menstrual hygiene.
Electricity infrastructure has also suffered damage, including the community powerhouse. The disruption has forced many households to depend increasingly on wood and coal for cooking and heating. This not only increases the risk of respiratory diseases and indoor air pollution but also creates fire hazards and contributes to environmental degradation. The absence of reliable electricity further makes it difficult for families to access warm water and maintain hygiene during the severe winter months.
Healthcare remains another major challenge. The distance between remote settlements and health facilities places pregnant women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and emergency patients at considerable risk. The situation demands immediate strengthening of local healthcare facilities, emergency referral systems, and the deployment of mobile health services to remote communities.
Mental health and psychosocial well-being require urgent attention. Prolonged displacement, repeated earthquakes, loss of homes, and uncertainty about the future have created widespread anxiety and emotional distress. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable. Several students expressed fear of sleeping at night because they remain worried about another earthquake. Culturally appropriate mental health and psychosocial support services must therefore become an immediate part of the humanitarian response.
Education has also been severely affected. Approximately 1,394 students are reportedly affected across the earthquake-affected villages of Chipursan Valley. Damaged schools, displacement, transportation difficulties, inadequate sanitation facilities, and financial constraints have disrupted educational continuity. Concerns have also been raised about upcoming examinations, particularly for students who may have to relocate temporarily to appear in examinations. Immediate measures are needed to ensure safe learning spaces, uninterrupted education, and psychosocial support for affected students.
The crisis has also seriously affected livelihoods and food security. Damage to irrigation channels, agricultural land, and livestock shelters has reduced agricultural productivity. Farmers fear that the valley may face food shortages during the coming winter because many families have been unable to adequately cultivate or store food. Given Chipursan’s geographical isolation and limited access to markets, restoring irrigation infrastructure and supporting agricultural recovery must be treated as an urgent priority. Tourism, small businesses, and seasonal trade have also suffered due to uncertainty and declining visitor numbers.
Another major concern raised by communities relates to humanitarian coordination and the distribution of assistance. Residents reported gaps in relief, overlapping interventions, and inadequate communication. Communities also questioned why only three villages were reportedly declared calamity-hit when the effects of seismic activity, displacement, and damage are being experienced across the wider valley. There is an urgent need for a transparent and community-verified assessment covering the entire affected population.
The issue of resettlement also requires a sensitive and rights-based approach. Vulnerable families were reportedly relocated temporarily to Sost, Passu, and Gulmit during the previous winter. However, the majority of residents expressed strong opposition to permanent relocation outside Chipursan Valley because of their attachment to ancestral land, cultural identity, agricultural livelihoods, and community networks. Any future rehabilitation or resettlement plan must therefore be based on meaningful consultation and informed consent. Prefabricated or winterized shelters within or close to affected communities may provide a more acceptable temporary solution, provided that all sites are scientifically assessed for safety.
The continuing seismic activity remains the valley’s most serious unresolved issue. Geological and seismic surveys have reportedly been conducted by relevant institutions, including the Geological Survey of Pakistan and the Pakistan Meteorological Department, and the area has reportedly been identified as being located along a fault line. Communities urgently need clear, scientifically credible, and accessible information about seismic risks, the safety of continued habitation, and whether reconstruction can safely take place in affected areas.
Some residents also raised concerns regarding possible links between seismic activity and mineral extraction. These concerns require an independent and multidisciplinary scientific investigation examining all plausible natural and human-induced factors. Such an investigation should be impartial and evidence-based and should not presume any particular cause without scientific verification.
Key Issues Requiring Immediate Attention
The most urgent issues requiring immediate intervention include:
- Winterized and insulated shelters for displaced and homeless families before temperatures fall to -30°C.
- Transparent verification of damage affecting the valley’s 659+ households and approximately 3,661 people.
- Restoration of safe drinking water and damaged water channels.
- Immediate installation of emergency toilets, bathing spaces, and WASH facilities, particularly as only around 10 functioning facilities are reportedly available.
- Restoration of electricity infrastructure and safe heating arrangements.
- Pre-positioning of food, medicines, and emergency food supplies before winter.
- Deployment of mobile healthcare services and strengthening of emergency referral systems.
- Establishment of mental health and psychosocial support services for women, children, and other affected groups.
- Protection of educational continuity for approximately 1,394 affected students.
- Restoration of irrigation channels and agricultural infrastructure to prevent food insecurity.
- Transparent and equitable distribution of humanitarian assistance.
- A comprehensive seismic and geological risk assessment and clear public communication regarding the safety of habitation and reconstruction.
- Development of earthquake-resistant housing and resilient infrastructure.
- Revision of compensation mechanisms in accordance with verified damage and the actual cost of reconstruction.
Chipursan Valley today faces a crisis that extends far beyond damaged houses. It is a crisis affecting people’s homes, livelihoods, education, health, food security, dignity, and mental well-being. With winter approaching rapidly, the situation demands immediate and coordinated action.
The Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, disaster management authorities, relevant federal institutions, humanitarian organizations, and development partners must act collectively and without delay. Emergency relief must be followed by a comprehensive rehabilitation strategy that is scientifically informed, transparent, and centred on the rights and voices of affected communities.
The people of Chipursan do not merely need temporary assistance; they need safety, dignity, sustainable recovery, and confidence in their future. Decisions regarding reconstruction, resettlement, land, livelihoods, and the future of the valley must be made with the affected communities, not merely for them. Only a community-led and rights-based approach can transform the current emergency response into long-term resilience and human security for the people of Chipursan Valley.
