Efforts on to help survivors in winter: ISPR

30 Nov, 2005

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Shaukat Sultan has said the government is making all out efforts to ensure protective measures in the quake-hit areas against severe winter.
"We know that cold will increase in the quake-stricken areas due to rain and snowfall which normally starts after November", the ISPR DG told BBC Radio.
For this reason, priority is being given to the relief operations at the areas above 5,000 feet high, he said.
The ISPR DG said efforts have been geared up to set up shelters in the affected areas, adding about 10,000 temporary houses have so for been constructed with 3,000 more under construction.
He said over 0.5 million tents have already been despatched to the quake-affected areas so far.
Responding to a question about reported lack of tents and other basic facilities in some affected areas, Major General Shaukat Sultan said that October 8 earthquake was a great natural disaster for which extraordinary steps were required to meet such situation. He said the government was doing its best in this regard.
To another question, the ISPR DG said the bad weather may hamper the supply of relief goods through helicopters, but the problem would be solved by keeping the roads opene.
"We can supply relief goods to the quake-affected people by road," he added.
Rejecting the criticism by certain elements about the slow pace of relief activities, Major General Shaukat Sultan said, according to UNHCR report, the relief goods and tents have been supplied in all the quake-hit areas.

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