ISLAMABAD Oct 7: Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has provided relief assistance to around 2.5 million and full medical cover to around 0.8 million to earthquake-affected people in three years.

This was stated by Secretary General PRCS Muhammad Ilyas Khan while talking to newsmen here on Tuesday on the eve of October 8 earthquake third anniversary. He said the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ recovery efforts were aimed at building safer communities for the affected families. “Most of the quake affected families are on the road to recovery, but more work is yet to be done to build up infrastructure,” he stressed.

The earthquake left more than 73,000 fatalities and an estimated 3.5 million people homeless.

The PRCS in collaboration with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Committee of Red Cross and Partner National Societies, responded quickly to bring immediate help and relief to affected people in the worst hit areas in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

After the emergency phase, PRCS embarked on recovery projects. A total of 34 public buildings will be rebuilt in the earthquake affected areas, comprising 16 schools, 12 health facilities and six vocational centres. Twenty-four buildings are at various stages of construction, with one middle school for girls has already been completed and handed over to the local education authorities in Mansehra district in NWFP. The construction of the rest of the buildings is expected to start in one month’s time.

The PRCS has also established 23 disaster management (DM) cells in selected areas, with 20 more expected to be added by the end of 2009.