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| October 20, 2005 | Thursday | Ramazan 15, 1426 |
UN aid chief wants NATO airlift for quake victims GENEVA, Oct 20 (Reuters) The top U.N. aid official said on Thursday he had appealed to NATO to launch a massive airlift to evacuate tens of thousands of earthquake victims in Pakistani Kashmir before winter sets in. Jan Egeland, U.N. emergency relief coordinator, also said the official death toll from the Oct. 8 quake in northern Pakistan could double from 48,000. Speaking at a news conference, he urged India and Pakistan to set aside their differences over Kashmir and "work out a compromise immediately" to step up aid flowing across the Line of Control (LoC). He said the world should match a life-saving U.S. airlift set up in 1949 to keep West Berlin supplied despite a blockade by the Soviet Union. "We need a second Berlin air bridge, and if they could do that in the end of the 1940s, set up in no time a lifeline to millions of people, we should be able to do that in 2005," he said. "We are humanitarians; we don't know how to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people in the Himalayas. But the most efficient military alliance in the world should be able to," Egeland said, adding that he had appealed directly to NATO. Although 20 field hospitals were set up in Azad Kashmir, infections including tetanus and gangrene were setting in among many of the 67,000 seriously wounded, forcing doctors to amputate, according to Egeland.(First Posted @ 15:21 Updated @ 17:22 PST)
Kashmiri quake the world's toughest relief operation MUZAFFARABAD, Azad Kashmir, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The devastating earthquake in Pakistan's northern mountains is turning into one of the toughest relief operations the world has ever known, international aid officials said Thursday. "It's actually scary if you see the situation in the villages. You feel a sense of urgency you've not felt before, even in the tsunami," the World Food Programme's Mia Turner said. "This is probably the greatest logistical challenge faced by an emergency operation," she said after the huge Oct. 8 earthquake which struck hardest in the rugged mountains of Azad Kashmir and adjacent North West Frontier Province. Tents capable of standing up to the looming Himalayan winter are the most needed aid item, but International Red Cross spokesman Olivier Moeckli said their size and weight made them hard to deliver due the shortage of helicopters. The Red Cross planned to deliver 30,000 tents, but had managed to get only 200 out so far and people in the mountains were building shelters from the ruins of their homes, he said. (Posted @ 14:31 PST)
Fast-approaching winter necessitates redoubling of relief efforts: President ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf Thursday emphasized that the fast-approaching winter necessitates redoubling the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the quake-affected areas and stressed that the government was doing its best to alleviate the sufferings of the people. He was speaking to British Secretary of State for International Development Hilary Benn who called on the President to discuss the ongoing relief efforts. Musharraf thanked Benn for UK's prompt response to the relief efforts in Pakistan.(Posted @ 21:40 PST)
Pakistani family names newborn baby Estonia after delivery doctors TALLINN, Oct 20 (AFP) The family of a baby girl born have named her Estonia here in honour of the emergency medics from the Baltic state who delivered her, the Estonian rescue team said Thursday. "This is the kindest gift we could imagine being given, to have a Pakistani child who was born in our tent named after our country," Tauno Suurkivi, head of the Estonian rescue team in Batagram said. On Saturday last week, eight Estonian rescue officials had put up a huge medical tent in the devastated town. By the following day, nearly 1,500 patients had already been treated in the facility. "The number of victims is huge and the need for medical assistance is increasing all the time. The situation in Batagram District is stabilising, but some areas are still isolated from outside world," Suurkivi said. "There is a lack of sterile materials and other medical equipment, and a big need to provide tents, food and medical aid to people who have lost their homes and are located in the areas which are hard to reach due to the destroyed roads."(Posted @ 21:20 PST)
President, PM review relief activities RAWALPINDI, Oct 20 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in a meeting here Thursday reviewed relief operations in quake-hit areas and expressed their resolve that reconstruction in these areas would be carried out on modern lines. The two leaders discussed the scope of the newly established Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, which has been given the task to undertake an immediate assessment regarding all aspects of the damage for efficient planning and effective execution of reconstruction. They directed that the reconstruction work in the quake-damaged areas should be done in consultation with the affected people, local government and civil administration of NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.(Posted @ 19:42 PST)
Turkish PM arrives on a two-day visit ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (APP): Turkish Prime Minister Tayyib Ardoghan arrived here Thursday on a two-day visit to Pakistan. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz recieved the Turkish PM here at Chaklala Airbase. He will visit Muzaffarabad tomorrow to assess the widespread damage caused by the October 8 earthquake.(Posted @ 19:38 PST)
Helicopters are Kashmir lifesavers but tents needed CHIKAR, Pakistan, Oct 20 (Reuters) Dr Takao Suzuki and his team from the Japanese Red Cross have been in Chikar for two days and have treated 250 injured and evacuated more than two dozen. On Friday, they will jump on a helicopter again and set up elsewhere in the disaster zone. "Still there are a lot places that nobody has covered," he said. "It's been 12 days since the earthquake, but there are still lots of open fractures, spinal injuries and very dirty wounds because they are deep and left alone without any medical aid." Suzuki added that "the very sad thing is that it may be just a simple fracture, but they have to walk for hours to look for treatment; it's really painful. If they get treatment right now, probably they don't need amputation." Already bitterly cold at night, by December, Chikar and hundreds of villages like it will be under a metre (three feet) of snow, and still their inhabitants have little or no shelter. "All the houses have fallen down and we are sitting here under the open sky," said Chikar resident Asia Bibi as her son was treated for a fractured arm. "There are no roads, so we can go nowhere. We need help and we need tents."(Posted @ 19:18 PST)
Saudi-owned TVs plan telethon for Pakistan quake victims DUBAI, Oct 20 (AFP) Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya satellite news channel said Thursday it would stage a joint telethon with Saudi state television on Saturday to raise funds for victims of the massive earthquake in Pakistan. Saudi TV in Riyadh will air reports by Al-Arabiya correspondents in the affected areas "in an effort to mobilize relief aid and raise donations to alleviate the human suffering" caused by the earthquake, said Al-Arabiya, which is privately owned and based in Dubai. Al-Arabiya will be linked to both "the field base in Pakistan and the central donation receiving location in Saudi Arabia" but will not collect donations itself, the station said.(Posted @ 19:12 PST)
Norwegian aid minister to visit Pakistan quake region OSLO, Oct 20 (AFP) Norwegian Development Aid Minister, Erik Solheim, will next week visit the Pakistan regions devastated by the October 8 earthquake, the government announced on Thursday. Solheim will hold talks with Pakistani authorities and humanitarian organisations during his October 26-28 visit. Norway has so far allocated 53 million kroner (6.8 million euros, 8.12 million dollars) to help the aid operations underway in the country. The Norwegian government has also asked parliament to unblock an additional 300 million kroner for Norway's emergency aid fund.(Posted @ 19:08 PST)
Six dead in latest violence in quake-hit Occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, Oct 20 (AFP) Four militants, an Indian army soldier and a civilian were killed Thursday in fresh violence in quake-hit Occupied Kashmir, police said. A militant and an army soldier died during a clash in northern Baramulla district, a police spokesman said, adding that Indian troops shot dead three more alleged militants in the southern districts of Anantnag and Poonch. Suspects also shot dead a civilian in Anantnag district, police said, adding that the motive behind the shooting was under investigation.(Posted @ 19:02 PST)
49,739 confirmed dead in Pakistan quake: relief head ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (AFP) A total of 49,739 have been confirmed dead in Pakistan's earthquake and more than 74,000 were injured, the country's disaster relief chief, Major General Farooq Ahmad Khan, told a news conference on Thursday.(Posted @ 16:32 PST)
Assessment of earthquake damages to be finalized by Nov.15: Zubair ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (APP): Chairman Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) Lt. General Muhammad Zubair said that the assessment work of the damages caused by October 8 earthquake would be finalized by November 15. In a radio interview he said ERRA will finalize its planning for the first phase of reconstruction after receiving the assessment reports giving top priority to building houses, schools, hospitals and infrastructure to bring life back to normal in the affected areas. He said consultants at home and abroad were contacted for quick construction of homes in the affected areas.(Posted @ 16:28 PST)
Britain pledges another 20 million pounds to Pakistan quake relief ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (AFP) Britain Thursday pledged an additional 20 million pounds (35.3 million dollars) in relief to victims of the October 8 quake in Pakistan, taking the total it has promised to 33 million pounds. The extra money will fund three British Chinook helicopters, shelter, food and other aid, visiting International Development Secretary Hilary Benn was quoted as saying in a British High Commission (embassy) statement. "We have already sent all of our UK stores of winter tents, sleeping mats and tarpaulins to Pakistan, both by air and by road, and we are now part of the global search to find more and to get them to those in need," Benn said. Britain's Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of the Royal Air Force Chinooks late Wednesday, saying they were due to arrive in Islamabad on Saturday. (Updated @ 15:49 PST)
Pakistan says 48,000 dead in quake, casts doubt on reported rise ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (AFP) Pakistani authorities Thursday confirmed around 48,000 people died in the massive October 8 earthquake and said there were discrepancies in a higher toll given by provincial authorities. Asked about a report that 79,000 people had died across South Asia in the disaster, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said that official figures as of Thursday morning were far lower than that. "There are about 48,000 confirmed dead as of today, the official toll, and it is expected to rise. I cannot comment on any other report. We say what we confirm officially and when we do it must have credibility," Sherpao said. The interior ministry said the earthquake killed 30,800 people in Azad Kashmir, 16,850 in North West Frontier Province and around 100 elsewhere in Pakistan. India reported more than 1,300 dead in occupied Kashmir. (Posted @ 15:26 PST)
State official in quake-hit occupied Kashmir appeals for more tents SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Oct 20 (AFP) - India has provided less than half the 35,000 tents needed for survivors of the devastating earthquake in occupied Kashmir, officials said Thursday. Mehbooba Mufti, head of occupied Kashmir's ruling Peoples Democratic Party, said 35,000 tents were needed but New Delhi had so far provided less than half the number of tents requested, and some of those may not even be suitable for winter conditions in Kashmir. (Posted @ 14:31 PST)
India waits for Pakistan proposals to open Kashmir border DELHI, Oct 20 (AFP) - India said Thursday it was still waiting for Pakistani proposals on how to allow Kashmiris to cross the LoC in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. "We are still waiting for operationalization details," a foreign ministry official said. But India's director-general of military operations, Lt- Gen Madan Gopal, made it clear New Delhi was in no hurry. "Let the details be analysed by the Ministry of External Affairs. We will also have to look at the security concerns... there will be no let up in our vigil," he told reporters on Wednesday. "There is no question of the entire LoC being opened up, " he said. (Posted @ 14:15 PST)
Pakistan minister wants to take aid convoy to Occupied Kashmir ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (AFP) – Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said Thursday he will take 25 truckloads of relief goods to the quake-hit part of occupied Kashmir if New Delhi agrees to open up the disputed border. "Once the formalities for opening the Line of Control to facilitate movement of Kashmiris are finalised, I will take 25 trucks of relief goods to occupied Kashmir for the people affected by the earthquake," he told AFP. "I will first go to Uri district and then to other areas”, said the minister whose own family migrated to Pakistan from occupied Kashmir. Meanwhile, leading Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, speaking to AFP Wednesday on a visit to Pakistan, criticised India for not allowing foreign aid workers to enter occupied Kashmir. (Posted @ 14:13 PST)
Pakistan to open new helipads in quake-hit mountains MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 20 (AFP) - Pakistani authorities said they would open up 24 new helipads on Thursday for quake aid flights in the Kashmiri mountains and start supplying hot meals for 10,000 people in the razed capital. Colonel Rana Sajjad said flights would be ramped up around the city of Muzaffarabad, allowing vital relief and medical aid to reach people who have been isolated since the October 8 disaster. He said 109 flights took off on Wednesday, the most since the quake hit, adding that troops were trying to get tents, food and blankets to remote villages by mule train and on foot, as in the devastated Neelum Valley only about 5.5 kilometres of the main road through the valley was motorable and another four kilometres could be reached by mule. Meanwhile, Muzaffarabad deputy commissioner Liaqat Hussain said 645 unclaimed bodies have been buried in mass graves here. Photographs of distinguishing features and other records were being kept for subsequent identification, he said. Many bodies remain uncollected beneath the rubble in this city and villages throughout the countryside. Liaquat Hussain said authorities would provide "cooked food for 10,000 people, twice daily" from Thursday, as well as tents to allow classes to resume in partially destroyed school rooms. "We have also identified quite a few sites in Muzaffarabad and in the vicinity and quite soon we will establish tent cities at different places," he said. (Posted @ 12:03 PST)
Quake disaster in Pakistan: U.S. to deploy 13 additional helicopters shortly WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (APP)- The U.S. civilian and military equipment, commodities and experts have poured into Pakistan and are being deployed for the relief of earthquake victims and a State Department spokesman said Wednesday authorities expect "to deploy 13 additional helicopters to Pakistan in the next few days." A fact sheet states that 17 U.S. helicopters have flown 483 missions, delivered over a million pounds of relief supplies and evacuated over 2,800 people needing immediate medical attention. 13 additional helicopters will be deployed within the next few days. In all, some 42 U.S. military and civilian airlifts to Pakistan have delivered hundreds of tons of medical supplies, food, plastic sheeting, blankets, water containers and purification units and concrete-cutting saws. "We have begun deploying a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH), with final delivery scheduled for October 22. Two ships have delivered heavy machinery and other equipment and supplies and an additional vessel is expected to deliver more engineering equipment within the next few days." (Posted @ 11:59 PST)
Kashmiris eager for border to open for quake aid MUZAFFARABAD, Azad Kashmir, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The line dividing Kashmir remained closed on Thursday despite a dramatic agreement by Pakistan and India to allow help for thousands of earthquake victims to flow across their war-scarred, disputed border. South Asia's old rivals needed time to carry out their plan, underlining the political sensitivity of such a move and the logistical difficulties in a mountainous area where the death toll from the Oct. 8 quake is rising rapidly by the day. For all their ills, people in the destroyed city were cheered by President Pervez Musharraf's surprise offer, swiftly accepted by New Delhi, to open the border between the two Kashmirs so people could meet relatives and help rebuild the region. All Parties Hurriyat Conference and the others including the militant organisations said they want the proposal to be implemented as soon as possible. However, it remains uncertain how far the two nuclear-armed rivals will go in allowing more border crossings. "There is no question of opening up the entire LoC," Lt-Gen Madan Mohan, India's Director-General of Military Operations, told reporters in New Delhi. "What we are discussing is routes being opened up. One or two routes here and there," he said.(Posted @ 09:55 PST)
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Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
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