ISLAMABAD, Nov 18: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday said $1.7 billion was urgently needed to bring immediate relief to millions of quake survivors before the harsh Himalayan winter set in. Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda said he was hopeful an international donor’s conference here on Saturday would also come up with enough money to fund longer-term reconstruction needs.
“Immediate relief should better be provided as quickly as possible,” he told a media briefing.
The Oct 8 quake devastated an area of Azad Kashmir and NWFP equivalent to the size of Belgium, killing nearly 74,000 people and leaving more than three million people homeless.
Aid workers have called for resources to bring immediate relief to thousands of stricken mountain villages and houses before the forthcoming winter puts them all but out of reach.
The ADB has lined up around $405m and will announce a final figure at the conference.—AFP
