MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 1: The United Nations will be using the world’s biggest cargo helicopters in its relief operations in the quake-affected zone of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a UN official said on Tuesday.

David Orr, spokesman for World Food Programme, told this correspondent that the Russian-built MI-26 chopper had landed in Peshawar and would make its first flight from Abbottabad on Thursday.

“The chopper will fly deep into the valleys of Jhelum and Neelum with relief goods and other supplies that are required,” he said, adding it would be the first ever use of such a big cargo helicopter in Pakistan for any relief operation. Its flying costs around $ 13000, per hour, he said.

He said the first operation of MI-26 would be on behalf of the WFP and French NGO Action Contre la Faim (Action against Hunger), but later other UN agencies could also make use of it.

Answering a question, he said four more MI-26 helicopters were expected to arrive in Pakistan in the coming weeks.

The United Nations, he said, was using more than 20 helicopters for its aid activities in the earthquake hit areas of Pakistan and AJK which were part of a total of about 73 rotary wing machines deployed in the affected region.

The United States, he said, had also started construction of a fuel depot close to the Muzaffarabad airport for UN and US helicopters and that would be ready within a week.

The MI-26 could carry 20 metric tons - 10 times more than the maximum loading capacity of the MI-8 and this, according to Mr Orr, was the reason of involving it in the relief and rescue operations.

He also reiterated a warning which WFP emergency coordinator in Pakistan Michael Jones had made last week at a press conference in Islamabad.

“We do not know how long we will be able to keep the choppers in the air because we don’t have enough money to keep them flying unless the international community comes up with generous funding,” he said.

He said WFP’s funding requirement for air operations alone stood at $100 million and there was a massive funding shortfall.

“At the moment we have funds that can keep our air operations going for a week or two unless more funds pour in,” he said.

He pointed out that the lives of the survivors depended greatly upon the helicopters because given the inaccessibility of a number of quake-hit areas by road they were the lifeline of the relief operations.

Of the opening of five crossing points along the Line of Control, the WFP spokesman said that could help mitigate the sufferings of the survivors.

“It will make a difference. In fact the need is so huge that it must be met from different angles.”