MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 14: US Under-secretary of State for public diplomacy and public affairs Karen Hughes and Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian affairs Christina Rocca flew into the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Monday for a first-hand assessment of the urgent aid requirements in the quake-hit region, local officials said.

Accompanying the two State Department officials were America’s three top corporate sector executives - Hank McKinnell, chief executive officer of the world’s biggest drug maker, Pfizer Inc; Anne Mulcahy, chairman of office-equipment firm Xerox Corp, and Jim Kelly, former chairman of United Parcel Service, Inc.

The delegation has been sent by US President George W. Bush to raise awareness about the level of sufferings and urgent needs for food, shelter, sanitation and healthcare in the quake-hit region in view of the looming winter.

After landing in the ruined AJK capital amid foolproof security the visitors first went to the Girls High School in Narul, functioning in the tents on the site of its devastated building with assistance from the Unicef and USAID.

“People in America care very much about the girls and boys and people of Pakistan and that’s why you have probably seen some of the helicopters trying to bring help,” Ms Hughes, a former Sunday school teacher, told young girls as she sat cross-legged with them in a tent where classes are held.

A school teacher recalled the horrible events of Oct 8, telling the visitors that the quake made the building of her school crumble, killing 84 students along with eight teachers while the others escaped.

The delegation also distributed toys and books among the students.

Later, the US delegation visited a tent village set up for survivors by a Pakistani company adjacent to the school, and handed out winter sheets to help protect its inhabitants from the coming rains.

It also inspected the US-funded water purification plant in the camp, where the USAID and an American NGO have so far provided around 2.5 million water purification sachets to the quake survivors.

Before flying back, the delegation visited the US army’s field hospital, or MASH unit, in front of the AJK Assembly where it also delivered medicines.

Talking to reporters on the occasion, Ms Hughes said the US government and people were with quake-stricken people in these tough times and would continue to provide help and assistance.

“The US will also provide assistance in reconstruction of the quake-hit region,” she said, pointing out that already a number of American non-governmental organizations, volunteers and military men were providing humanitarian assistance in the quake-affected areas.

The US government has allocated $156 million for relief and reconstruction, but the country’s flow of private-sector aid - estimated at $70 million - is too less compared with the $1.5 billion that tsunami victims received.