The situation in Pakistan's earthquake-hit areas is in total control and there are ample food and medicines available for the quake affected people, a senior member of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in an interview. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Joint Secretary and Senior member of NDMA, Shaukat Nawaz Tahir said that relief work is going on smoothly in the affected areas.
Shaukat said that Ziarat and Pishin were the two worst hit areas. A total of eight villages were badly affected in Ziarat while in Pishin four or five villages were moderately affected, he said, adding that 700 families in Ziarat and 100 in Pishin were affected by the quake. 6,000 people were displaced in these two areas, he noted.
'As a usual and normal practice, this time also army immediately moved in the affected areas,' he said and added that more than 1, 300 army men were engaged in carrying out the relief operation.
Further, NBMA member said the quake victims are facing some problems due to the severe weather as the temperatures in the night in those areas are below zero and the immediate requirement is to provide shelter to the affectees,' he said. c also said the government had so far distributed 5,000 tents, 2,192 sleeping bags, some 20,000 blankets, 5,600 jackets and food items to the affectees.
He clarified that food items were enough for 10,000 affectees for one week. Some international NGOs and the provinces are also transporting relief goods to the quake-affected areas, he said. All injured had been treated in hospitals, he said and added that one field hospital was operational in Ziarat and three mobile teams were working in Pishin.
In addition, he expressed appreciation and gratitude on behalf of Pakistan government he commended other countries for helping Pakistan in a post-earthquake situation. Many Chinese have shown concern about the situation in Balochistan following earthquake and expressed their willingness to help the victims. 'Pakistan and China have all-weather friendship and this is how we prove it,' Shaukat said.