ISLAMABAD, April 28: A representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has stressed that the quake victims should be enabled to stand on their feet instead of making them dependent on free ration forever.

Talking to a select group of journalists, Anita Yeomans said after their rehabilitation, the affected persons should be helped to earn their living themselves.

She said it was physically impossible for the donors and other humanitarian/philanthropic organisations to provide assistance to the quake-hit people forever.

Ms Yeomans arrived in Pakistan from the UK on November 1, 2005, after watching the destruction on television. She worked in the quake-ruined areas of Kashmir for six months and will leave for her country on Saturday. She was mainly responsible for distribution of food supplies and provision of other necessary items like clothes, blankets, tents and shelters.

While narrating her story she burst into tears and said: “I have never seen such devastation in my life.”

She said it was frightening to fly in a helicopter through the hard terrains most of which had been flattened by the earthquake.

The ICRC worker said since most of the areas were precipitous mountains and not easily accessible, therefore, first the relief workers assessed how much supplies were needed in a particular area and then airlifted the same amount of foods, blankets and shelters.