Al-Rashid Trust relief efforts recognised by world

04 Jan, 2006

World has hailed the relief efforts of the Al-Rashid Trust (ART) and various international organisations asked trust to hold survey in quake hit areas for distribution, but still the sanctions were not waived, said Raja Abdul Aziz, Relief Co-ordinator of the ART, here on Monday while talking to reporters.
Various UN Organs including UNHCR, WFP and Red Crescent, OXFAM, IOM have not only lauded the ART efforts but took help from trust in distribution of relief goods, he said adding that in spite of high appreciation UN has not so far waived the sanctions imposed on the trust.
"We are facing problems in getting funds from our well wishers outside Pakistan due to sanctions", he said and added that the trust has raised the issue with UN and other relevant bodies and surely positive results would come soon.
Talking on the relief operation of the Al-Rasheed Trust, he said that the trust has served quake affected people in Azad Jammu Kashmir and parts of NWFP while provided them medicines, food, clothes, blankets, tents and other necessary commodities worth Rs 1 billion.
"Trust is committed to continue the relief and rehabilitation operation in the quake hit areas till the rehabilitation of last affectee", he said adding that trust has a committed network of surveyors based on Imam Mosques.
Responding to a question regarding any sort of discrimination, ART Co-ordinator said that trust has giving regular relief to more than 35 Hindu families.
Giving details about the relief operation, he said trust has provided food worth Rs 262.5 million to affected people, medicines of more than Rs 30 million to 125,000 victims. He said that 25 well-equipped modern ambulances of the trust are in operation in the affected areas.
A 20-bed field hospital is in operation at Muzaffarabad providing medical care to 200 patients daily, while another Orthopaedic Hospital started functioning at Mansehra set up with the cost of Rs 6 million, he said adding that 25 emergency medical camps were set up so far where more than 80,000 patients were provided medical care. A veterinary hospital was also set up to treat cattle of the affected people, where medicines costing to Rs 0.2 million were given to almost ten thousand animals.
Raja told the journalists that ART has provided tents of Rs 35 million and established 9 tent villages where approximately 10,000 affected have been located. Trust has spent more than Rs 5 million on the look after of these people. The tent villages are situated in Islamabad.
Muzaffarabad, Mira (Basham), Basian Wanran(Bala Kot), Manshera Kando Palis and Bera (Kohistan). The schools and Islamic Seminaries are also functioning. The trust has also provided more than 135,000 blankets, quilts and 90 thousand warm cloths to the quake affected people.
The relief co-ordinator of the ART said on Eid clothes were distributed among two thousand widows and four thousand orphans along with four million cash. The total Special Eid package had cost of Rs 5.4 millions. 60 thousand SI sheets for shelters were also provided costing to Rs 51 millions to the affected people.

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