'Small villages in AJK still waiting for relief'

19 Oct, 2005

Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Commission (JKHRC) said on Tuesday that government relief efforts are confined to the cities while the small villages having hundreds of casualties still await for evacuation and relief services.
Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday Hamayun Zaman Mirza Chairman JKHRC said that about 100,000 people have died and almost 700,000 have been rendered homeless in the deadly earthquake.
He told the reporters that there are few areas where no relief team has reached yet and the victims are still lying under the debris. Those, who survived are unable to remove the rubbles.
The JKHRC chairman appreciated the concern of Pakistani people and international community, who are giving generous help to the affected people in the hour of trial.
Hamayun also complained about the unplanned distribution of relief goods and said that some people are filling their homes with the relief goods and depriving many of their rights.
Contradicting the officials claims about provision of services such as electricity, telephone etc, he said the utilities have been restored only within the surroundings of the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Secretariat and High Court while the villagers are still waiting for help.
He appealed the authorities to centralise and coordinate their efforts for giving relief to people in far-flung areas.

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