ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: The United Nations warned on Friday against shifting focus from urgent relief to reconstruction in quake-ravaged areas where thousands of children are still struggling to stay alive. The UN’s top relief official in Pakistan urged donors and the international community against neglecting the basic needs of 3.5 million people affected by the Oct 8 earthquake.

“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 coordinator reiterated that many lives remained at risk as severe winter conditions set in. Relief workers were racing against time to bring basic help to people in remote mountain areas.

While welcoming contributions of nearly $216 million, about 39 per cent of the initial appeal, Mr Vandemoortele stressed that the remaining amount was urgently needed for food, emergency shelter and medicines for many people.

“We urgently need extra millions of dollars to reach the earthquake survivors and other vulnerable victims, especially before the winter sets in,” he said.

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 statement quoted aid workers as saying the logistics of delivering food was extremely difficult and current funding for distribution could run-out by mid-winter.

In the area of shelter, some relief organizations have started using their own reserve funds to provide tents and winter shelter for victims.

“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,” Mr Vandemoortele warned.

WEATHER CONDITION: The met office has meanwhile predicted rain and snow over high mountains in the earthquake-affected areas in next couple of days.