ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday called for sustained international support to meet the needs of survivors of the October 8 earthquake which killed more than 73,000 people.

He made the comments after meeting earthquake relief chiefs, who say they have received less than one quarter of the international funding needed for emergency relief for survivors.

He told the meeting that ongoing cooperation between local and overseas aid groups was essential to helping more than 3.3 million people left homeless by the devastating earthquake.

International aid agencies have complained of a lack of cash, despite dire UN warnings of a second wave of deaths caused by disease, hunger and hypothermia in the quake-affected regions.

“I shall speak to the UN Secretary General and also stay in touch with world leaders to ensure execution of relief and rehabilitation work,” President Musharraf told the meeting.

“I am sure that with support from the nation, the global community and the non-governmental organizations, we will be able to meet this challenge and bring life back to the survivors,” he said.

The president also said all possibilities would be explored to build earthquake-proof, fire-proof and cost-effective housing in the quake-hit areas.

He said the government would work openly with the international community to help victims.

United Nations spokeswoman Amanda Pitt said Musharraf also talked to relief chiefs about assistance priorities in the weeks ahead.

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Pakistan, Jan Vandemoortele, attended the meeting along with representatives from the World Health Organisation and the World Food Programme.

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, also attended as well as officials from foreign aid groups including Oxfam and Care.

The UN’s humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, said 131 million dollars, or 24 per cent of the 550-million-dollar appeal to fund urgently needed shelter, food and medical relief, had been received.

“It’s not enough, it’s very disappointing. We need more money and if it’s not coming we will not be able to rent more helicopters,” OCHA spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told journalists.

“If no money is coming agencies will have to stop their programmes,” she said.

The president assured the world community and the nation that aid and donations received for the rehabilitation of earthquake survivors would be used in a fair and transparent manner.

“We started rescue and relief operation on a priority basis after the tragedy struck, and the world community and the nation remained engaged with us through this critical time”.

He, however, said that a “huge task of fair and transparent distribution of funds for rehabilitation of quake victim remains” and “we will by Grace of God would also fulfil this task”.

“I assure the international community and the nation that their donations and funds would be used in a transparent manner,” he said.

The need of the hour is for the international community to continue regular and permanent flow of aid for relief and rehabilitation as we need billions of dollars for the long-term process which could extend up to several years, the president said.

“We are maintaining a database of all relief work and the projects would be named after the NGOs sponsoring them.”

He urged financial institutions and NGOs to participate wholeheartedly in relief activities and help the affectees by providing them with tents and blankets.

The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority is devising a plan to reconstruct partially damaged and completely destroyed towns and villages on modern lines, he added.—Agencies