Elisabeth Winter: "The death toll is likely to rise" (1'50")

Now teams of aid workers are shuttling by helicopter between the stricken area and the nearest town, Faizabad, carrying in aid and carrying out casualties.

In February, it took several days before the outside world even heard about the disaster and several more weeks before any significant amount of aid got through.

Setting priorities

The only means of getting aid into inaccessible villages

Some of the stricken areas are five days from the nearest town by horse or donkey. There is little in the way of proper road links; aid workers say mudslides are currently blocking one of the only usable roads in.

With temperatures plunging to around freezing point in the evening, providing medical supplies and shelter for the survivors is a priority. Aid teams have been flying in tents, plastic sheeting, blankets and tarpaulins to provide emergency shelter.

Tens of thousands have lost their homes

With a number of villages completely destroyed, the United Nations estimates that tens of thousands of people may be homeless. It says many of the remaining people in the region are too scared to remain in their mudbrick houses at night because of continuing aftershocks.

Previous reports suggested that the area may not need food aid at this stage. But aid workers on the ground say local leaders are now pleading for food, saying many people's foodstocks have been buried under rubble.

Better weather and co-operation

UN's Sarah Russell: "People do not have anything to cook with" (0'29")

Better weather has obviously helped the current aid operation tremendously. However, aid workers say it has also benefited from lessons learned during the first emergency operation, only a few months ago.

Aid agencies have pooled their resources

This time, food had already been stockpiled in the area. And aid workers who remained there after the February quake are more familiar with the logistics and difficulties involved in getting aid in.

Aid organisations have not had to waste time by issuing appeals for cash: there are still donations left over from the previous emergency.