UNITED NATIONS, Dec 15: Underscoring that the earthquake in Pakistan was a ‘disaster of enormous proportions and the recovery is going to be a long and difficult task,’ former US President George H. W. Bush accepted his appointment as UN secretary-general’s special envoy for South Asian earthquake.

A UN spokesman made the formal announcement of Mr Bush’s appointment at Thursday’s briefing.

As the special envoy, Mr Bush would represent the secretary-general and the United Nations system in the national and international response to the Oct 8 earthquake in South Asia, the spokesman said.