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| November 25, 2005 | Friday | Shawwal 22, 1426 |
Earthquake Losses Muzaffarabad, Nov 25 (PPI) According to a statement Friday, over 43418 people died and 31092 were wounded in different parts of Azad Kasjhmir in the Oct 8 earthquake. The statement said 246,280 houses collapsed and countless suffered extensive damage.(Posted @ 20:05 PST)
Gen. Farooq: Rs 20 billion to be distributed by next week among quake affectees Islamabad, Nov 25 (PPI) Federal Relief Commissioner Major General Farooq Ahmad Khan has said that Rs 8 billion have so far been distributed among the quake affectees. Addressing a news conference, he said additional four billion rupees have been released to the NWFP and AJK for distribution among the affectees. He was confident that twenty billion rupees compensation, announced by the President would be disbursed by the beginning of next month. Major Gen. Farooq said dumping of rations in the affected areas, and to keep major roads open are the priorities. He said a total of 7665 shelters have been constructed in locations above five thousand feet altitude by the Army in affected areas of NWFP and AJK and about 50,000 CGI sheets have been delivered to the homeless people for preparing shelters. Another 40,000 CGI sheets are on the way. He said one- tent- one -family effort is also succeeding and about half a million tents and 3.8 million blankets and quilts have been distributeds. He said forty tent villages have been established to accommodate over 31,500 quake survivors in AJK and eighteen tent villages(capacity 8,250 families) in NWFP. The Relief Commissioner said a total of 2,722 educational institutions have been reopened with over 18,000 students on roll and over 11,000 teachers in AJK, representing over half the enrollment prior to the October 8 earthquake. In the NWFP, a total of over 6,500 educational institutions have been reopened. Replying to a question, he said friendly countries have been asked to let their hospitals work till the winter is over. He said we have received 13,000 winterized tents from China and some from other countries. A US organization has also provided 6,000 such tents. These are preferably being distributed among people in areas above 5,000 feet altitude.(Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Army engineers speed-up construction of shelters in quake hit areas ISLAMABAD, Nov 25 (APP): Army Engineers with the cooperation of NGOs have stepped up construction of shelters in the quake hit areas of the NWFP and Azad Kashmir. Five engineering battalions so far have completed over 20,00 shelters at various locations at Battagram, Balakot, Shinkiari and Garhi Habibullah, PTV reported. Over 855 volunteers have also joined the relief efforts in Azad Kashmir and the NWFP to assist the affected people in rebuilding their houses. Meanwhile, Army helicopters and trucks continued to dispatch relief goods to the quake affected areas. On the other hand, about Rs 8 billion have been distributed among the quake survivors so far and more than 457,500 tents and 3.835 million blankets have been distributed.(Posted @ 19:46 PST)
Actress Jolie says Pakistan quake victims need help before winter ISLAMABAD, Nov 25 (AFP) - Hollywood actress and United Nations refugee agency goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie Friday urged the world to give cash for quake survivors in Pakistan before winter causes a second wave of death. Jolie, who toured the disaster zone with actor Brad Pitt on Thursday, also warned against allowing children orphaned by the disaster to be adopted too soon. (The American star herself has adopted a son and daughter from abroad.) "There are so many wonderful pledges that could come in in the next few years but this winter is in the next few weeks and so many people are in danger of possibly freezing to death," Jolie told reporters in Islamabad. "This is not to say there hasn't been much aid. But the support obviously needs to continue to come and the pledges that were made need to materialise soon," added Jolie, dressed in a white UNHCR T-shirt. Oscar-winner Jolie and Pitt -- with whom she is romantically linked -- handed out food, blankets and plastic sheeting to survivors in the mountains on Thursday, coinciding with a visit by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Jolie said she had been touched "as a woman and as a mother" by talking to a young boy around the same age as her son in the remote northern Alai Valley, which has relied on helicopter airlifts for aid. "These people have received aid but they are very far out, and they are very concerned about the winter coming," she said. Jolie did not comment on reports in the British media that she herself was keen to adopt one of Pakistan's earthquake orphans. (Posted @ 16:36 PST)
Senate body for a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for disabled ISLAMABAD, Nov 25 (APP): Senate Standing Committee on Social Welfare and Special Education Friday underlined the need for a comprehensive and sustainable plan for the rehabilitation of those who were disabled in the Oct 8 earthquake. The committee noted that Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal distributed Rs. 129.222 million among 7189 families in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Mansehra, Shangla, Swat and Peshawar. Daycare centre “aashiana” has been established near Hattian where health, education and vocational training facilities are available for 1000 earthquake victims mostly destitute women and children, and three vocational centers have been established in Garhi Pan Chowk, Domail and Bagh in AJK .A total of 38 vocational centres are planned for the earthquake affected areas with the collaboration of UNICEF, the committed was informed . Tents, medicines, mineral water, food stuff, fire burner and plastic sheets worth Rs. 2.9 million were distributed in Balakot and Shangla by the National Council of Social Welfare (NCSW) while relief goods including medicines and gas cylinders worth Rs. 5.626 million received from Qatar were distributed in Balakot, Ghari Habibullah and Shangla. The Committee recommended that the law regarding duty free import of special vehicles for the disabled and handicapped be revived forthwith. At the meeting Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq offered to accommodate at least 5,000 children in his Madresah chain. (Posted @ 16:21 PST)
All affected households to get relief amount within 5-6 days: Siab Khalid ISLAMABAD, Nov 25 (APP): All affected households will get relief amount of Rs.25000 within the next 5-6 days, Speaker Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Muhammad Siab Khalid said in a TV interview programme Friday. He said verification process was a pre-requisite and takes time. This is for interim relief for the harsh winter. In March-April a further amount (150,000 to 175,000) for reconstruction of damaged houses will be paid to the affectees. Not a single household would be left without financial assistance and relief, he added. (Posted @ 16:09 PST)
UN Goodwill Ambssador Angelina Jolie calls on President RAWALPINDI, Nov 25 (APP) : UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie called on President General Pervez Musharraf on Friday to reaffirm the world body's continued support for Pakistan in its efforts to rebuild lives and infrastructure damaged in last month's deadly earthquake. Jolie, who visited the quake zone on Thursday, said the immense magnitude of the disaster called for consistent and long-term support for relief and rehabilitation of survivors."When so many people are suffering, nobody should remain indifferent. We have been deeply touched by the scale of devastation and our hearts go out to the injured and survivors left shelterless in the face of severe mountainous winter," she said, accompanied by Hollywood film star Brad Pit. President Musharraf thanked the goodwill ambassador for her support and solidarity and expressed gratitude to the world community for responding to Pakistan's call for assistance in the hour of trial. (Posted @ 15:44 PST)
UN warns against shifting quake focus in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Nov 25 (AFP) The United Nations warned on Friday against shifting focus from urgent relief to reconstruction in Pakistani quake-ravaged areas where thousands of children were still struggling to stay alive. "It is important to start building new hospitals and schools as soon as possible but it's most urgent to save the lives of thousands of children who could then make use of these schools," Jan Vandemoortele, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, said in a statement. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator reiterated that many lives remained at risk as severe winter conditions set in. While welcoming contributions of nearly 216 million dollars, about 39 percent of the initial appeal, Vandemoortele stressed that the remaining amount was urgently needed for food, emergency shelter and medicines for many people. Although adequate food had been given to at least one million people, the UN warned another 1.3 million had not yet been provided for. "The race to provide suitable shelter in time is not lost yet, but the consequences of failure, resulting from the lack of relief funds could result in the deaths of vulnerable people," Vandemoortele warned. (Posted @ 14:50 PST)
U.S. aims at enabling earthquake hit stand on their feet: USAID sources WASHINGTON, Nov 24 (APP) United States, which has pledged to provide a total of $510 million for relief and reconstruction, has plans to invest in programs to provide training and resources so that people in earthquake affected areas "can once again earn their own living and regain economic independence," USAID sources Thursday stated. The USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios has assured that the United States government would provide reconstruction assistance in the four key areas of education, health, employment programs, and shelter. (Posted @ 10:36 PST)
Half of injured quake survivors may die from cold: NATO LISBON, Nov 24 (AFP) Half of the 70,000 people seriously injured in last month's earthquake that hit Pakistan may not survive the winter cold, a NATO official said here Thursday. "The extent of the catastrophe that we found there is unimaginable," Portuguese Lieutenant Colonel Mario Lemos Pires, responsible for coordinating the NATO rescue operation, told Portugal's news agency LUSA. "If the level of aid to the population is kept up and if media coverage continues", the 2.8 million to 3.2 million people without shelter may survive, with some difficulty, the harsh winter weather, he said. Pakistani meteorologists have forecst a severe winter for 2006 with sub-zero temperatures and snowfalls of up to five metres (16 feet). (Posted @ 10:25 PST)
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