ISLAMABAD, Nov 3: An Italian C-130 Hercules carrying 10.4 tons of tents and blankets landed here, bringing the total relief supplies flown into Pakistan by NATO to over 1,000 tons.
In addition, four more C-130s and a B-747 flew in more than 80 additional tons.
NATO’s air-bridge of 62 flights to-date has now delivered more than 1,068 tons of supplies from bases in NATO nations, primarily Turkey and Germany.
The British Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn, announced on October 29 that the UK will be giving 3.5 million pound sterling to the UN and NATO to help continue the airlift of relief supplies. NATO will receive 2 million pound sterling to help charter heavy lift aircraft to transport priority relief items including winterised tents and blankets from UN warehouses in Europe and the Middle East to Pakistan.
NATO will move an additional 335 tons of UNHCR aid from UN facilities in Turkey to Pakistan. Arrangements are currently being made for road transport of the cargo from warehouses in Iskenderum to the airport of Incirlik for onward movement to Islamabad. To fly the material to Pakistan, NATO has contracted three DC-10 cargo aircraft from the 2 million euros provided by the UK.
UAE: Another UAE Red Crescent Society (RCS) plane, carrying five tons of relief goods arrived at Chaklala Airbase on Wednesday.
The relief goods, gifted by the UAE Scouts Association, included milk, flour, sugar, rice, oil, aluminium beds, blankets and clothes. The Scouts Association had sent 20 tons of relief goods last week.
CHINA: A cargo train carrying 13,000 tents left Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province Thursday for Kashi in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
From Kashi, the tents will be transported to quake-hit areas in Pakistan to help quake victims to survive coming winter months.
Special cargo flights are taking relief goods to Pakistan almost on daily basis to meet the needs of victims on urgent basis. The assistance is a part of the donation offered by the Chinese government.
TURKISH TEAM: Turkish delegation handed over a cheque for $4 million to the president’s relief fund on Tuesday.
The delegation was consisting Mr. Ismail NAZLI, Chairman - Country Representative, Pak-Turk International Cag Educational Foundation Mehmet Zeki VZKARACA, Chairman, Kimse Yok Mu Solidarity and Assistance Society, Hidayet KARACA PhD, CEO, Samanyolu International TV Channel (Turkey) and Mr. Ahmet BVKEN, News Manager, Samanyolu International TV Channel (Turkey),
The amount contributed by Turkish people so far has exceeded millions of dollars.
From October 15, the field kitchen established in collaboration with various Turkish non-government organizations and local administrations have been catering lunch and dinner to 4,000 people daily in Muzaffarabad and its adjacent villages and towns. An additional field kitchen is to be established shortly to cater for additional 4,000 people’s lunch and dinner.
Pak-Turk Foundation donated one fully-equipped Mercedes Ambulance to the Ministry of Health to be used for the affected people. Two doctors and one fully-equipped ambulance are on field duty for treatment and transportation of critically injured patients to Medical Camp in Abbasi Institute of Medical Sciences in Muzaffarabad. In collaboration with the Greater City Municipality of Kocaeli — which also was badly affected by the 1999 earthquake — 15 units of dialysis machines are ready to be installed at needy hospitals in the earthquake-struck regions.
Five giant tents with insulation for school are due within a couple of days. 1000 extra-large thick tents with two partitioned rooms are on the way purchased from Iran.
Teaching and administrative faculty of Pak-Turk International Schools in 7 cities of Pakistan donated blankets, winter clothing, food items and bedding materials; along with their one- day and full salary to relief fund.
AUSTRALIA: The Australian government’s total contribution to the Pakistan earthquake now stands at $14.3 million, (Rs626.3 million) which includes a $7.5 million response to a UN Flash Appeal being channelled through the WHO, UNICEF and the WFP.
Funding of $3.2 million has been provided to Australian NGOs, including CARE, Oxfam, World Vision, Australian Red Cross, The Fred Hollows Foundation, Caritas Australia, Save the Children Australia, Austcare, Plan International Australia, and TEAR Australia currently operating in Pakistan.
