KARACHI, Oct 19: An eight-member team of the Arts Council visited the earthquake-wrecked areas of the country and distributed among the victims Rs100,000 and relief goods worth Rs1.5 million. They also treated those who needed immediate medical help.

This was stated by members of the Arts Council’s governing body at a press conference on Wednesday evening. They said the team left for the calamity-hit areas last Tuesday after collecting cash donations and relief goods for the victims. They recalled that members of the Arts Council donated generously and within days they had enough relief goods to leave immediately for the tremor-devastated parts of the country.

“We made Mansehra our base camp and issued forth to other devastated areas to extend immediate medical help to quake victims. Operations were conducted and a couple of women gave birth to babies in our medical camps. What we saw there was devastation and destruction on a very, very large scale,” they said, adding that it would be years before the region wrecked by the earthquake was reconstructed and the displaced people rehabilitated.

The members of the Arts Council’s governing body said it was heartening to note that succour was reaching the victims. “We saw truckloads of relief goods being taken to the calamity-hit areas and distributed to everybody. But what the victims of the earthquake now need are tents, medicines, warm clothing and blankets,” they said, adding that in addition to the people of Karachi, citizens from the rest of the country had donated generously to the president’s relief fund.

They said they would soon return to the earthquake-devastated areas to resume their relief operations. They said the performance of their medical team was appreciated by those who were given medical treatment.

Those who spoke at the press conference include Saifur Rahman Grami, Rizwan Siddiqui and Dr Rehana Mohammad Ali Shah.