UNITED NATIONS, Oct 19: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Wednesday made an impassioned appeal to the international community to step forward with financial and material help for the earthquake victims of Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference late afternoon, he underscored that in order to avoid another massive wave of deaths urgent help was needed by the country.
“The people and Government of Pakistan are faced with an extraordinary challenge and we need to make an extraordinary effort to support them,” he said.
He expressed hope that in response to the UN appeal more donors would attend the UN conference next week in Geneva and contribute towards the UN flash appeal.
Asked about the logistics support in Pakistan as against the tsunami where some 1,000 helicopters were made available as against 70 in Pakistan, Mr Annan said that he would seek more logistical support such as helicopters. Mr Annan said: “What is impossible for any picture to convey is the sheer magnitude of this catastrophe. In the most affected area, which covers some 28,000 sq km of Pakistan, all essential infrastructure has been destroyed.”
“That means thousands of hospitals and schools, government buildings and water systems, major roads and transport,” he added.
He said that in terms of logistics, the difficult terrain makes this one of the most challenging relief operations ever undertaken. Winter is approaching fast, and temperatures are dropping.
Mr Annan said: “The latest death toll stands at 42,000 with at least 67,000 injured. But because we still have not accessed hundreds of thousands of people in remote areas, we fear that the actual figures are far higher.”
He said: “Unlike some natural disasters in which victims die immediately, the death toll in Pakistan is not over yet. An estimated three million men, women and children are homeless. Many of them have no blankets or tents to protect them against the merciless Himalayan winter.”
