NEWS RELATED TO EARTH QUAKE IN PAKISTAN

U.S. MILITARY RAPID REFUELING POINT OPENS

A U.S. military Rapid Refueling Point at Muzaffarabad Airport opened today allowing relief helicopters to refuel quicker and provide earthquake aid further north in support of Pakistani-led relief efforts.

The RRP, part of the U.S. military’s Forward Resupply Base in Muzaffarabad, saves each aircraft 75 minutes operating time at each refueling due to its location and capability to refuel helicopters while they are still running vice having to shut them down as in Islamabad.

The 75 minutes gained by the RRP comes from eliminating the 30 minute flight to Islamabad and an additional 40 minutes saved since helicopters can be fueled in five minutes while running instead of 45 minutes when they have to be shut down. The ability to refuel a helicopter while running is known as hot refueling and is made possible by three 20,000 gallon fuel bladders that are capable of fueling two aircraft simultaneously.  The RRP also can refuel helicopters while they are shut down, known as cold refueling, with two 2,200-gallon fuel trucks.

The ability to refuel father north allows U.S. and other nations’ helicopters involved in relief efforts more flight time to deliver aid to those affected by the Oct. 8 earthquake that devastated the Kashmir and Northwest Frontier Provinces in Pakistan.

U.S. military helicopters began flying earthquake relief aid on Oct. 11 in support of the Government of Pakistan’s relief operations.  They have flown more than 1,600 sorties, delivered nearly 7.5 million pounds of relief aid and evacuated more than 3,500 casualties.

Musharraf demands cash flow for victims 

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf has again appealed to the world community to come up in the November 19 international conference in a big way.

Speaking to Islamabad-based diplomats on Tuesday, he observed that financial contribution would be preferable as it would give flexibility in carrying out large-scale rebuilding on egalitarian basis for quake survivors in the mountainous areas. Giving his priority list for rehabilitation, he added that the government would prioritize provision of safe drinking water, electricity and gas to the people, President Musharraf said.  

He said that the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations and Pakistan are jointly working out the cost of reconstruction and ensured them that the entire process from collection of funds to their disbursement would be transparent and all finances would be accounted for through audit. He maintained that committees comprising elected representatives, local government representatives, Pakistan Army officers and revenue officials would be engaged in the process of disbursement of funds to avert any chances of misappropriation. He added that precise database is being compiled for determining the number of houses, health facilities, educational institutions etc in each village, tehsil and district. President Musharraf also spoke of engaging the country's youth and professionals in the reconstruction phase through a national volunteers movement. These volunteers would join Pakistan Army in assisting the people to restart their lives. He expressed Pakistan's gratitude to the international community for extending prompt assistance in rescue and relief operations and said the country alone could not have managed the task of unprecedented proportions.

Anna due in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The next week Pakistan will host a number of important dignitaries including Secretary General UN Kofi Anna who is coming to participate in international earthquake rehabilitation conference.

Mr. Annan will arrive on November 17 while Australian head of the state Mr. John Howard will come on November 21. Both will visit earthquake areas to assess the magnitude of disaster due to October 8 earthquake. 

Meanwhile, Indonesian President will arrive 24 and would also visit Muzafarabad and Balakot. has again appealed to the world community to come up in the November 19 international conference in a big way.

 German delegation arrived

ISLAMABAD:  The high-ranking delegation from the German Ministry for Cooperation and International Development (BMZ) has arrived here on Tuesday to discuss multi-million aid package with Pakistan three days before the earth quake donor conference in Islamabad, said by the German Ambassador Dr. Gunter Mulack here on Tuesday.

He said the outcome of the negotiation would thus constitute the German pledge at the donor conference to be held in Islamabad. He said sectoral   and regional priorities for reconstruction projects in the quake-hit areas would be discussed in the meeting.

The delegation is comprised of Mr. Dr. Rainer Goerdeler, Joint Secretary, Mr. Rolf Lerch, , Mr. Jens Clausen from the German KfW Development Bank. Dr. Ingolf Vereno, Resident Representative of the German Agency for Technical Cooperation, Mr. Christopher Weisbecker (GTZ –Headquarters) and Mrs. Jutta Burghardt, Counsellor, Economic Cooperation and Development at the German Embassy, will participate in the negotiation.

French assistance

“The French assistance to the disaster victims continues. The Delegation for Humanitarian Aid will be sending a Boeing 747 cargo plane chartered from Air France arriving in Islamabad on Thursday, November the 3^rd at 12:45 pm, and transporting around 80 tonnes of equipment meant for humanitarian aid, which comes partly from its inventories (38 tonnes of tents, blankets, tarpaulins, sleeping bags) and partly from various NGOs i.e. :

-         The French Red Cross -11.6 tonnes : kitchen kits, foldable jerry cans and lamps

-         Islamic Relief (Secours Islamique) – 15.6 tonnes : tents, blankets, clothes and shoes

-         Catholic Relief (Secours Catholique) – 2  water purification stations supplied by the company Véolia along with 2 technicians

-         Popular Relief (Secours Populaire) – 2.4 tonnes : tents and rice

-         Tulipe – twenty medicine chests

-         Handicap International and Atlas Logistique – Orthopaedic equipment

Moreover, SANOFI has announced a significant donation of vaccines (2 million doses against Tetanus and 1 million doses against Measles), which will be delivered to a UNICEF representative.

Death toll from Oct 8 Quake reaches 73276: Relief Com
 

ISLAMABAD: Death toll from Pakistan's earthquake reached 73,276, the country's relief commissioner said on Wednesday.
Federal Relief Commissioner Major General Farooq Ahmed Khan said that 69,260 others were injured in the October 8th devastating quake that hit Kashmir and parts of northwest frontier province (NWFP).
Asked about the quantum jump in the death toll, he said that many bodies were recovered during the last two days as operation to remove the rubble has been stepped up.
He said that a total of 2775 villages were affected by the quake and the Pakistan army has accessed to 2734 villages and 41 are still remaining.
He said that foreign pledges stands at dlrs 2.051 billion that also include assistance, goods, grants, food aid, soft credit and pledges against UN Flash Appeal.
Listing priorities, he said that one tent for one family is the immediate priority.
He said two medical and rehabilitation centers are required for Kashmir and NWFP.
Besides, two air ambulances are also needed for speedy evacuation of casualties. He said that four mobile operation theaters and hospitals are also required.
The Federal Relief Commissioner said that a total of 31 tent villages have been set up in NWFP with 17,979 occupants and 27 in Kashmir with 18,023 occupants.
Major General Farooq Ahmed Khan said that all fixed telephone lines in NWFP have been restored while out of 20,294 lines affected in Kashmir 2831 are still required further repair.
 

November 14

Gen Ehsan vissits Bagh and Rawalkot

RAWALPINDI: Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee General Ehsan ul Haq visited earthquake affected areas of Bagh and Rawlakot. On arrival at Bagh, he was briefed by the General Officer Commanding of the formation on the ongoing relief and rehabilitation work in the area.

General Ehsan Ul Haq was also informed that relief efforts are being carried out in coordination with civil administration, politicians and NGOs.

Later he visited the field hospital and city area. While talking to the patients he said that Government is committed to ensure rehabilitation process of effected in earliest possible time.

He also mentioned that despite the massive magnitude of earthquake, all efforts are being made to bring the life to normal. He flew over the affected area and later visited Jordanian Field hospital at Rawalakot. He appreciated the physical and moral support by the Government and armed forces of Jordan.

He also appreciated the role played by the Army and urged them to work with same motivation and dedication in this hour of need to lesser the sufferings of our brethren in
those areas.

 

Relief operation in Oct 8 affected areas continue
 

RAWALPINDI: Relief operations in affected areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP continue.

246 tons of relief items which included blankets, tents, medicines and other miscellaneous items were received during last twenty four hours from foreign relief goods from Egypt, Libya, China, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, UK, Thailand, France, USA, Nepal and Young Muslims Organization from UK. A total of 4737 tons of relief items have been received from all over the world in Pakistan since earthquake hit Pakistan on 8 October.

Eleven helicopters shifted 45 tons of relief items which included 457 tents and 1170 blankets and other items to affected areas of Azad Kashmir while sixteen helicopters airlifted 17 tons of relief items including tents and blankets and other relief items to affected areas of NWFP.

Relief items were also transported by road to Muzaffarabad and NWFP. As many 500 tents and 3894 tents were dispatched to Azad Kashmir and NWFP respectively during last two days. A total of 123 tons of miscellaneous relief items were also dispatched.

Besides shifting the relief items are also being dropped in affected areas. In last one week 3020 bags containing relief items were dropped in inaccessible areas in Azad Kashmir and NWFP. Each composite bag contains a sleeping bag, one tent, fifteen kilograms of mixed ration, two blankets, one bed sheet, one bucket. It weighs 35 kilograms.