Pakistan has urged accelerated efforts for the provision of shelter, food and other supplies to the quake-affected areas and survivors in the wake of fast approaching winter season.
The issue was highlighted by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Economic Affairs Dr Salman Shah and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar during their meetings with the heads of international humanitarian organisations here to discuss the ongoing relief efforts in the quake-affected areas.
In a meeting with the secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Salman Shah and Khushro Bakhtiar were informed that the Federation had already received 50 percent pledges made by the donors against its appeal for the winter relief operations.
The secretary general assured the Federation's firm commitment for the rehabilitation and reconstruction process.
Both the officials expressed gratitude to the Federation for supporting the Government of Pakistan in relief operation.
They said that fast approaching winter season necessitated accelerated efforts for provision of shelter, food and other supplies to the affected areas and survivors.
They requested the secretary general for high-level representation of the Federation in the next month's donor conference to be held in Islamabad.
Both the officials also attended a briefing by International Labour Organisation (ILO), in which they were informed that according to ILO estimates, around 1.1 million jobs were affected, which is 0.1 percent more than the loss caused by the tsunami.
The ILO said that it was working on the possibilities of programmes for restoring the lost jobs.
The officials requested the ILO for assistance in government's efforts for long-term job creation during the reconstruction phase.
Salman Shah and Khusro Bakhtiar visited the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Geneva. They suggested that IUCN might undertake a pilot project in the reconstruction of the affected areas based on environment-friendly designs.
The director general of the International Civil Defence Organisation also called on Salman Shah and Khusro Bakhtiar and assured full co-operation of his organisation to Pakistan at this hour of need.
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