October 04, 2006	Wednesday	Ramazan 10, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: The United State has assured continued support to Pakistan in the reconstruction of the areas affected by last year’s devastating earthquake.

Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday, the US Ambassador in Pakistan, Ryan C. Crocker said 50 schools and 15 healthcare facilities would be completed in the first year under the USAID’s $200million programme.

He said the work on the four-year project will start this month.

The USAID will also help communities in the earthquake areas to improve the quality of classroom instruction, and some 5,000 elementary, middle and high school teachers will be trained.

He said America’s response to the quake last year was immediate and massive and pointed out that the first Chinook helicopter arrived from Afghanistan to help in the relief operations within 48 hours of the earthquake.

He said US has pledged $510 million, which included $200 million for reconstruction to be spent in the next four years, especially on education and the health sector.

The US Army provided 21 CH-47 Chinook helicopters for relief, rescue and rehabilitation work in the quake-hit areas of the NWFP and AJK.

By October 10, two days after the devastating earthquake, USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team established its headquarters in Islamabad and forward-operation bases in Muzaffarabad and Mansehra.

The US government provided emergency assistance, relief supplies and medical help in close coordination with the government of Pakistan, local authorities and international organisations.

More than 370,000 people received relief commodities while USAID delivered 97,725 blankets, 1,570 winterised tents, 8,050 rolls of plastic sheets for shelter for 36,672 families, provided 15,000 water containers, two water-purification units, 20 concrete cutting saws and 136 shelters.

The US military helicopters carried out 5,912 relief operations and delivered 14,322 tons of relief supplies and transported 19,638 people, including over 4,547 needing medical attention.

The medical teams of the US provided emergency medical treatment to 35,000 people and another 20,000 were inoculated at US military hospitals in Muzaffarabad and Shinkiari.

The US teams also delivered 1,000 tonnes of relief supplies and 107 pieces of heavy engineering equipment in the damaged areas.

In the reconstruction phase, the US provided training in earthquake-resistant construction, while under the cash-for-work programme, households across the affected areas are receiving much-needed support as they clear away collapsed buildings and restore the irrigation system.