The Clock Is Already Ticking – The Snow Is Coming
In less than three weeks, the last road from Muzaffarabad to the upper valleys will close.
Snow is already piling on the ridges above Shounter and Gurez. Once the white wall forms, no vehicle can pass—no blankets, no food, no firewood, no medicine.
Critical Winter Period — Impact Snapshot
The race against time before Kashmir’s mountain passes seal shut
In the foundation’s shop-front (which we loving call a warehouse), volunteers work through the night. Gloves on, breath misting in the cold air, they tape boxes, check manifests, whisper Bismillah, and keep loading. Each one knows what it means to miss the window.
❄️ Donate Before The Road Close“If the convoy leaves a day late, someone sleeps another night in the cold,” says driver Imran Shah.
The Harsh Calendar of Winter
In Kashmir, winter doesn’t arrive gently. It falls like a curtain.
According to the AJ&K Meteorological Department (2024), the road beyond Kel remains passable only until the first week of January.
Average temperature in Upper Neelum drops below –10 °C.
Once snowfall passes 2.5 metres, the passes seal for 70–80 days.
For families in Tao Butt, Gurez, Phulwai and Leepa, these weeks decide everything.
This is the window of mercy—brief, dangerous, precious.
The Families Waiting at the Edge
Rashid Khan in Phulwai is stacking the last of his firewood. He knows it will run out before February.
Humaira in Shounter Valley tries to keep her younger siblings warm with worn blankets.
Hajra Begum in Athmuqam sits beside her clay stove, whispering prayers for another delivery before the snow deepens.
They all ask the same question: Will the trucks make it this year?
“The snow will come—whether we are ready or not,” Rashid says.
What Happens When We Miss the Window
When the convoys can’t get through, isolation begins.
Clinics close; medicine stops arriving.
Food prices double in the lower towns, but there’s no market access in the highlands.
Families burn furniture and books to stay warm.
Pneumonia cases among children rise by 30%.
The elderly, already weak, face nights of –12 °C with no heating.
The AJ&K Disaster Management Authority calls it “seasonal emergency.”
The Kashmir Welfare Foundation calls it “preventable suffering.”
Because when donations arrive after the roads close, they can’t reach those who need them most.
Inside the Final Convoy
At the Muzaffarabad base, 4 a.m. lights glow like stars. Volunteers load the last pallets—winter packs, fuel drums, flour sacks.
Each box bears a donor’s tag: “From a family in Manchester.”
Imran Shah climbs into the truck cab, radio crackling. Snow flurries tap the windshield.
He looks at the dashboard photo of his own children and mutters, “Ya Allah, guide these wheels.”
Behind him, a younger volunteer yells,
“We’re moving—before the snow does!”
Every mile they travel is a race against time—and a prayer against silence.
❄️ Donate Before The Road CloseThe Road of Mercy
The route to Gurez is 230 kilometres of winding cliffside. A wrong turn could mean disaster; stopping could mean a village left behind.
Halfway up, they pause at Phulwai for tea in the mosque courtyard. Steam rises from tin cups, mixing with fog.
Someone asks, “How many trucks left behind?”
“Three more,” the reply comes. “If the weather holds.”
The drivers nod, eyes on the mountains. Everyone knows what happens when the weather doesn’t hold.
Data Snapshot (AJ&K 2024)
Winter Indicators — Situation Overview
| Indicator | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Road Closure Avg. Date | 5 Jan | Access lost after this date |
| Duration of Isolation | 60–80 days | No aid movement |
| Avg Temperature (Jan) | –10 °C | Extreme cold stress |
| Families Affected | 3,000 + | In Neelum & Gurez regions |
“Every day delayed means one valley left behind.
When donors act now, we can send the trucks while the roads are still breathing.
Once the snow closes, even our prayers have to wait until spring.” Abdul Basit
How Your Donation Moves Before the Snow
Where Your Pack Travels
From the mountains surrounding Muzaffarabad to the far valleys of Gurez and Leepa — your donation moves through Kashmir’s frozen heartlands.
Mountains surrounding Muzaffarabad
Relief teams begin their ascent from base camps, packing winter kits in freezing dawn temperatures.
Neelum Valley
Includes Gurez, Shounter, Surgan, Kel, Arang Kel & Sharda — each village reached by snow-jeeps and foot convoys.
Hattian Bala
Routes extend through Leepa Valley and Chikkar, serving isolated households before heavy snowfall seals the roads.
…and beyond
Further outreach into mountain hamlets where no other aid reaches during winter months.
Your donation today is not early—it’s right on time.
Tomorrow might already be too late.
Gift Aid – Turning Time into Impact
If you’re a UK taxpayer, ticking Gift Aid adds 25 % extra.
£50 becomes £62.50—enough to carry another pack the extra ten miles before the pass closes.
“Gift Aid is not paperwork,” Basit says. “It’s the difference between reaching and almost reaching.”
Regular Giving – Prepared Before the Storm
Regular donors keep warehouses stocked months in advance.
When emergency funds arrive late, it’s regular giving that keeps fuel tanks full and tailors employed.
“Because of monthly donors,” explains logistics officer Farhan Ali, “we don’t wait for snow warnings—we move before them.”
Faith in Action
In Leepa Valley, an old man named Abdul Ghafoor stands by his door as the last convoy passes.
He waves his stick and shouts, “May Allah keep your tyres firm!”
He knows what that sound means: life arriving before silence.
❄️ Donate Before The Road CloseWhen the foundation volunteers stop to greet him, he says,
“You reached before the snow. That means Allah remembered us.”
The Narrow Window
The AJ&K Highways Department warns that heavy snowfall could close access earlier than expected this year.
That means fewer than 20 days left to send aid.
Every donation now helps move supplies already waiting in storage.
Every delay risks losing an entire route.
“There’s still time,” says volunteer Faiza Ali. “But not much. The mountains are already whispering.”
A Message to UK Donors
To every supporter across Britain who gave last winter—you kept the roads of mercy open.
This year, the need is greater, the window shorter.
Your donation is not just charity.
It’s logistics. It’s courage. It’s compassion moving faster than the snow.
Why Give Now
Because once the roads close, we wait three months to try again.
Because children like Humaira should not sleep hungry while trucks sit idle.
Because timing turns generosity into survival.
“Before the mountains close, open your heart.”
FAQs
1. When do the roads close?
Usually between 5 and 7 January, depending on snowfall.
2. Can you deliver after that?
No. Once passes seal, only helicopters can enter—and weather rarely allows it.
3. How long does the isolation last?
Around 70 days on average.
4. What does my donation fund?
Warm clothing, food, blankets, heating fuel, and safe delivery through final convoys.
5. Is Gift Aid available?
Yes—UK taxpayers can add 25 % at no cost, extending each pack’s reach.
