UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations said on Sunday that Pakistan urgently needs more helicopters to help with search and rescue efforts after a massive earthquake killed more than 20,000 people.

“One thing we need the most are helicopters. There are too few,” UN Undersecretary Jan Egeland told AFP.

“We need helicopters because the roads are gone.”

Amid widespread devastation caused by Saturday’s quake that registered 7.6 on the Ricther scale, Pakistan had deployed its own substantial fleet of helicopters to search for survivors but the scale of the disaster required more choppers and small fixed-wing aircraft, Egeland said.

“We are seeing enormous suffering and facing enormous challenges,” said Egeland, UN coordinator of humanitarian affairs and emergency relief.

“We’re talking about millions affected by this.”

Egeland said eight international rescue teams had arrived and another “10 or 12” were on the way. More such teams would not be needed as the window for rescuing survivors was closing rapidly, he said. “If you’re not airborne today you’re probably not needed.”

The earthquake may have left two to three million homeless and it was crucial that emergency aid included adequate winter shelter for the survivors of the temblor, he said.

With the area’s infrastructure destroyed, local authorities and aid agencies also would need to quickly provide water and sanitation to the affected areas.

Egeland said in previous disasters, donor countries often failed to focus on water and shelter and set up more field hospitals than were necessary.

“I fear that too many countries will set up field hospitals and too few are sending water and sanitation units,” he said.

Within hours after the earthquake shook South Asia, the UN sent an eight-member team of experts to Pakistan to help coordinate international aid, he said.

The UN Disaster Assistance and Coordination team has set up an operations center in the capital Islamabad and sent representatives into the field to ensure outside assistance went to where it was needed most, he said.

As more United Nations teams traveled to South Asia, UN agencies, the Red Cross and other aid organizations planned to meet in Geneva on Monday to plan international relief efforts.

An international appeal for funds was being prepared and should be ready by next week, he said.

“By far, the biggest effort is now done by Pakistan itself and the international effort will supplement that.”—AFP