Thousands of people are still trapped in the debris of collapsed houses and thousands more, who survived the October 8 catastrophe, may die of hunger, thirst and injuries as most of the hilly areas of Azad Kashmir and Hazara division remained inaccessible, affectees told Business Recorder on telephone on Monday.
Speaking about the magnitude of the tragedy, the Director-General, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and the President's spokesman, Major General Shaukat Sultan, told newsmen that the entire younger generation had been wiped out in the areas worst hit by the massive earthquake of 7.6 intensity.
Many of the victims were school children, who had just begun their classes when the school buildings collapsed.
Initial reports indicate that three million people had been rendered homeless, death toll may be beyond 30,000 and 80 to 90 percent buildings and houses in towns and villages, including Balakot, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Chakothi have been razed to ground.
The vital road link between Islamabad and Muzaffarabad has been reopened and several caravans of trucks loaded with relief goods for affectees reached Muzaffarabazd on Monday.
President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz chaired a meeting to review rescue and relief operations and decided to set up a Federal Relief Cell to co-ordinate and streamline the relief work with the provincial governments, various government and non-government agencies and foreign donors.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has called upon the volunteers, especially the youth all over the country, to come forward and supplement the relief and rehabilitation efforts launched by the government.
He was addressing the first batch of volunteers, comprising qualified doctors, surgeons and paramedics, being dispatched to earthquake areas of Mansehra for setting up a medical relief camp here on Monday.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Salman Shah held a meeting with international donor agencies, development partners and foreign ambassadors in Islamabad and apprised them of the catastrophe, which caused colossal loss of life and property in the AJK and NWFP.
The Finance Ministry sources told Business Recorder that representatives of World Bank, Asian Development Bank, USAID, ID, DFID, UNDP, IFA, JICA, European Commission and Ambassadors/diplomats of Canada, Germany, Japan, French, Italy and China attended the meeting.
Sources said that Dr Salman Shah stressed the need for speeding up the relief efforts in the first phase by providing items of urgent priority, including food, medicines, blankets, warm clothing, shoes and tents etc.
In the second phase, he suggested donor agencies to assist in providing reconstruction support to the people in NWFP and AJK, who had lost every thing.
He said that apart from reconstruction, the economy of the region had to be rehabilitated.
He also said that the road to Balakot had been restored and Pakistan Army, in collaboration with the provincial and local authorities, was trying to restore road and communication links to other areas in NWFP.
Relief Emergency Cells have been set in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the Prime Minister's Secretariat, which can be contacted for the purpose of co-ordination and delivery of essential items to the needy people round the clock.
The sources said the humanitarian assistance by various development partners so far includes China, European Union (EU), Ireland, Saudi Arabia, USA, Thailand, Germany and UK. Besides, France, Iran, Indonesia, Japan, UAE, UK, China, Italy, Canada, Turkey and Unicef have sent relief goods/rescue teams to provide immediate relief and rehabilitation to the affected people.
It was also informed that the US would also provide upto 50 million dollars for relief and reconstruction.
The Adviser further said that in the second phase, a reconstruction steering committee would be set up to effectively co-ordinate with the donor agencies and development partners.
The Chinese government on October 10 sent another 90 tonnes consignment of relief goods, comprising blankets, tents, mattresses, and quilts for the earthquake victims.
In Beijing, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao received Ambassador Salman Bashir to personally convey the sincere condolence, sympathy and solidarity of the Chinese government and people with the government and people of Pakistan over the devastation caused by the severe earthquake.
A Press release received from the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing said that premier mentioned that China, which was a close friend of Pakistan, had decided to rush relief assistance worth 6.2 million dollars as well as search and rescue teams.
The press release said that Chinese Premier assured that China would do everything to assist Pakistan, and expressed the confidence that the friendly people of Pakistan would soon overcome the affects of this natural calamity.
Meanwhile, several organisations have announced donations for the earthquake victims. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed telecommunication operators to put best endeavours to improve telecommunication networks in the earthquake-affected areas of the NWFP, AJK and Northern Areas. It may be added that some operations have offered to provide VSAT (satellite links) free of cost in the AJK.
While chairing a meeting of PTA high officials here on Monday, PTA Chief Major General (retd) Shahzada Alam Malik announced that the PTA would contribute Rs 200 million in the "Presidents' Relief Fund" for earthquake victims.
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