Angelina firms for continue support

ISLAMABAD: Hollywood superstar and UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie has said that UN and international bodies will continue to help earthquake victims and the magnitude of disaster is so intensified and huge that everybody like her would try best to help people.

Angelina Jolie who arrived here met President General Pervez Musharraf on Friday to express the support of international agencies particularly UN for Pakistan and stated that she was moved by watching the devastation when visited these are on Friday.

She was of the view that international bodies should continue their support for Pakistan in its efforts to rebuild lives and infrastructure damaged in last month's deadly earthquake.  She stated that the immense magnitude of the disaster called for consistent and long-term support for relief and rehabilitation of survivors.  "When so many people are suffering, nobody should remain indifferent - we have been deeply touched at the scale of devastation and our hearts go out to the injured and survivors left shelterless in the face of severe mountainous winter," she said, accompanied by Hollywood film star Brad Pit. 

She appreciated the rapid response of the Pakistan government and its armed forces in the wake of the tragedy in the difficult terrains.  President

Musharraf thanked the goodwill ambassador for her support and solidarity over the catastrophe and expressed his gratitude to the world community for responding to Pakistan's call for assistance in the hour of trial.  He particularly expressed gratitude to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan for his expression of generous support and concern since October 8's disaster that has claimed more than 74000 lives, injured almost an equal number and left 3.5 million people homeless.

She also held a briefing here stating that recent international assistance pledges must reach Pakistan as soon as possible to help the survivors of the October 8 earthquake. 

"There are so many wonderful pledges of money that could come in the next few years but the winter is in the next few weeks," she added. She stressed the country needed the money now to save million of people facing winter. She also warned against the "donors' fatigue" because of "so many disasters worldwide during the year" and stressed the situation in Pakistan was grim and required an immediate world response. "There are pledges and just need to be honoured. It (money) can by here to meet the winter," she stressed.

Commissioner Guterres assured his agency's full support to Pakistan, saying despite having no mandate in such disaster, UNHCR was obliged to do it for the country's long-standing support to help millions of Afghan refugees for many years. "Solidarity is not a one-way thing, it must be two-way," he said whose agency together along with other U.N. agencies were involved in relief activities. "As a relief agency, problem faced by people of Pakistan are our problems and all our resources at the disposal of the Pakistan government in this hour of need," he added. "I guarantee all our resources are at your (Pakistan's) disposal," he added. The Commissioner said the UNHCR would go on with the programme of voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees that is underway under an agreement signed by the U.N., Pakistan and Afghanistan. Federal Minister Yar Rind said that some 400,000 Afghan refugees returned to their country this year under the voluntary programme while another 400,000 would be sent next year. He said the repatriation schedule would not change as a result of the earthquake. The Minister said that Pakistan has put in place an effective system at the border to ensure that those who returned to Afghanistan did not come back.

He expressed his gratitude to the Commissioner for helping Pakistan in relief efforts in spite of the fact that the UNHCR did not have a mandate in such disasters. The UNHCR Commissioner also appealed to the world to include projects for the returning Afghan in the upcoming London Conference being held at the conclusion of the Bonn process. He said it was important to have coherent projects to help the returning Afghanis integrate back in the Afghan society. "That is absolutely essential if the voluntary repatriation programme is to be sustained, he added. The Commissioner said it was also very important for the world community to understand that the people of Pakistan had been suffering a lot in expressing solidarity with the Afghan refugees who had been on the country's soil for so many years. He said it was essential to help both the Pakistani people and the Afghan refugees in this respect.

Donors pledge $5.8bn for quake victims: More funds in pipeline

ISLAMABAD: International donors on Saturday pledged to provide $5.827 billion, including about $1.9 billion grants, in assistance to Pakistan for reconstruction and rehabilitation in the quake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz termed Nov 19, 2005, a ‘very successful day for Pakistan’ and said after the international donors’ conference: “The amount will surely rise as more pledges are in the pipeline.”

The donors’ conference, participated by 75 delegates, including UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, proved to be a success as the participants pledged $627 million more against the need assessment of $5.2 billion.

The prime minister told a news conference that Pakistan and the donors community had developed a consensus document on the needs and damage assessment of the quake-hit areas that put the total requirement at $5.2 billion, including $3.5 billion for reconstruction and $1.7 billion for relief and rehabilitation.

“We will now deliver and change the lives of the people of the quake-affected areas,” he held out assurance. “The results have been beyond our expectations,” said the prime minister.

He said the cumulative pledges Pakistan had received so far amounted to $5.827 billion, including $3.9 billion in soft loans and remaining $1.9 billion in grants. The grants include cash, in kind, donations to NGOs, the AJK and NWFP governments and contributions to the President’s Relief Fund.

This meant that Pakistan was not an isolated country and enjoyed respect in the comity of nations, the prime minister said.

About loans, he said some were interest-free and involved only service charges and average interest on a mix of grants.

He said the size of international financial commitments would increase, as the Australian prime minister would announce his contribution on his arrival in a couple of days. Similarly, the Canadian delegation has informed that they would go back and make a formal announcement as there are political changes taking place in Canada.

Some other countries and institutions have assured to announce their contributions later.

Talking about major assistance packages, the prime minister said the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank had contributed $1 billion each, the Islamic Development Bank $500 million, US $510 million, China $326 million, Saudi Arabia $573 million, France $124 million, Germany $100 million, the European Commission $110 million, the United Kingdom $120 million, Japan $120 million, Turkey $150 million, Iran $200 million, the UAE $100 million and Kuwait $100 million.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has pledged to provide $375 million of its emergency fund without any condition, but the government has yet to take a decision on the offer.

He said now it was the job of the government to convert these pledges into action, sit with these donors, and settle terms of contributions and interest rates etc.

The prime minister said a professional campaign had been launched before the donors’ conference and President Musharraf talked to King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, US President George W. Bush, French President Chirac while he himself remained in contact with the heads of international financial institutions.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf, who opened the conference, assured donor agencies and Pakistan’s bilateral creditors that there would be total accountability and transparency in spending foreign funds. “This transparency will be assured through the availability of data to be subjected to external auditing,” he said.

The president also announced sponsorship scheme for rehabilitation and reconstruction of affected areas and said international as well as local donors could adopt cities, districts, tehsils, schools, hospitals and villages by funding their rehabilitation and development. These facilities would be named after their donors like Abbotabad and Jacobabad, he added.

He said cities like Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad and their business community could also adopt different tehsils, schools or hospitals to reach out to the affected people by providing them better shelter, health facilities, education and other amenities of life.

The main challenge, the president told the participants, was to restore the entire infrastructure that had been destroyed in Azad Kashmir and various parts of the NWFP. Over 400,000 houses, the president said, needed to be built along with restoring all physical and economic infrastructures.

On the occasion, the UN secretary-general said that pooling of resources by the international community was extremely necessary to meet the challenge of rehabilitation and reconstruction.

The prime minister said a timetable for the implementation of reconstruction and rehabilitation work would be announced after the completion of feasibility studies, which would be made ready as early as possible.

The United Nations also pledged to provide a tracking system to make available all funding sources and its implementation data to the public while an oversight committee under the central bank governor and comprising some civil society representatives will supervise the transparent use of funds.

The prime minister said opposition parties had also been invited to join a parliamentary committee to supervise rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

He said the President’s Relief Fund would be expanded to bridge any financing gap. With these commitments, there would be no negative impact of the earthquake on the growth rate of fiscal deficit as all operations would be done within the limits of the fiscal responsibility law, he added.

Sweden committed $45 million assistance, Morocco $5 million, the Aga Khan Foundation $50 million, India $25 million, Ireland $6 million, Italy $15 million, Malaysia $2 million, Azerbaijan $1.4 million, Norway $35 million, Denmark $25 million, Greece $18.5 million, Switzerland $40 million, Finland $10 million, besides contribution by many small countries.

Last Chance to Avert Second Wave of Deaths in Pakistan
Six of the Largest International Aid Organizations Call for Help

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (November 18, 2005) - On the eve of the International Donors Conference in Islamabad, six of the largest international humanitarian aid organizations responding to the October earthquake in Pakistan have joined together to issue an emergency appeal for increased funding for life-saving efforts in Kashmir and the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP).

CARE International, the International Rescue Committee, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), World Vision, Save the Children and Mercy Corps urged members of the conference to not overlook the emergency needs of this disaster despite the long-term strategic focus of the conference. The onset of winter, they warned, is likely to result in a second wave of deaths.

"Without immediate attention and increased funding, people who survived the earthquake might lose the fight against the brutal winter," said Denis Caillaux, CARE International’s secretary general. "Snow in some mountain villages can be as much as 10 feet deep. Without adequate shelter, there is no chance for survival."

MERCY Corps' emergency spokesperson Cassandra Nelson added, "We have the chance to save thousands of lives, but the world community must act now. We have the capacity to respond, but we are under-funded and under-equipped."

The first snows have already hit Kashmir and the NWFP. The window for responding to the crisis is closing rapidly, but major gaps in funding may leave thousands of families without adequate shelter and resources to survive.

The humanitarian aid community applauds the efforts of the government of Pakistan and the donor community in developing a long-term recovery strategy for the region, but urges greater assistance.

"Tremendous progress has been made in the disaster response, but more — much more — is needed," says Sigurd Hanson, World Vision Country Director for Pakistan. "We support the process for the donors' conference, but implore the attendees to also focus on immediate, life-saving needs. The emergency phase is not over."

Shelter remains the most pressing need. An all-out aid effort by the humanitarian community and the Pakistan government continues to focus on providing materials and technical support to build "warm rooms," self-help shelter repair kits, winterized tents and supplies for the winterization of existing tents.

"More funding is needed immediately to provide basic shelter for tens of thousands of people facing the prospect of a harsh winter without adequate shelter," says Jack Norman, CRS Country Representative for Pakistan. "If the response from the international community is too little or too late, we'll be witnessing a second tragedy."

Medical concerns are also mounting, particularly around the rising number of acute respiratory infection cases caused by exposure. The need to improve water and sanitation is growing by the day, with reports of thousands of cases of watery diarrhea, gastritis, scabies and communicable diseases. Infants and children face the gravest risk.

With more than 2.2 million children affected by the quake, child protection issues are critical. Since the earthquake six weeks ago, most children in the affected regions are without access to support systems — their schools, collapsed, are far from reopening. Their families, overwhelmed with survival issues, have few means to respond to their trauma. Still, hundreds of thousands of children are homeless.

"Without help, these children — who were vulnerable before the earthquake — face catastrophe," says Bruce Rassmusen of Save the Children. "In addition to addressing critical shelter and health concerns, support needs to be provided for vulnerable children who have been separated from their families. More schools and child-friendly spaces need to be opened to ensure children have safe spaces to play, to learn and to regain a sense of normalcy and begin the process of recovery."

Together, these six international agencies have more than 585 staff members working directly on the emergency response and more than 134 years of collective experience working in Pakistan with long-term roots in the country and strong partnerships with local NGOs and institutions. This on-the-ground infrastructure is fully supported by the government of Pakistan including crucial support from the Pakistani military, as well as the United Nations and international agencies. Together it forms an efficient base for carrying out emergency relief operations.

"The recovery of areas affected by the earthquake depends heavily on a commitment from the international community to provide urgently needed funding to support life saving activities in the short term, and support to the rehabilitation process in the long term," says Alan Manski, Emergency Response Coordinator of IRC. "A second disaster is now set to unfold. How many die this time is up to us."

Media Contacts: Atlanta: Lurma Rackley, CARE, lrackley@care.org, 404-979-9450
 

Who contributed how much?

ISLAMABAD: International donors pledged on Saturday to give Pakistan more than 5.8 billion dollars to rebuild northern regions shattered by last month’s earthquake. The following is a list of some of the pledges that were released by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at a media briefing after a conference of the international donors wrapped up.

The figures aggregate money already distributed with new donations made at a donors’ conference including grants, loans and assistance paid in kind.

Asian Development Bank (1 billion dollars); World Bank (1 billion dollars); Saudi Arabia (573 million dollars); United States (510 million dollars); Islamic Development Bank (500 million dollars); China (326 million dollars); Iran (200 million dollars); Turkey (150 million dollars); France (124 million dollars); Britain (120 million dollars); Japan (120 million dollars); European Union (110 million dollars); Germany (100 million dollars); United Arab Emirates (100 million dollars); Kuwait (100 million dollars);India (25 million dollars); UAE (1 million dollars); and Singapore (300,000 dollars

Following is the text of President General Pervez Musharraf’s address to the donors’ conference held here on November 19.

            “Bismillah Hirrakhmanir Rahim” Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Shaukat Aziz, Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, distinguished delegates, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

            Let me start by personally expressing on my own behalf and on the behalf of entire nation, our extreme gratitude to first of all to Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan for the concerns he has always shown, the support he has always given and the involvement that he has always shown in helping Pakistan in our hour of need. We are extremely grateful to you sir. I would also like to extend the nation’s gratitude to more than 75 delegations from all over the world and representing various organizations to be here in Pakistan to share our grief and to lend support at this hour of need of Pakistan. I will specially single out representation of India today sitting here, thank you very much. I will also like to take this opportunity to express my extreme gratitude to all the world leaders with whom I spoke and who responded so spontaneously in sending delegations on my request to Pakistan for this occasion. I am extremely grateful to all of them. Let me say ladies and gentlemen that it was in this same spirit of support and of concern that we saw the international community helping us in the first two stages of the earthquake and that is rescue and relief operation stages. The relief operation is continuing even now. The disaster and this calamity that you saw in the films shown to you struck us. And magnitude of this disaster was of indeed heart-rending for any one. 73,000 people died and equal number of people have been seriously injured, many disabled for life.

            There are 400,000 households affected  and this account for about 3.5 million people affected. Children are the main victims because they happened to be in schools at that time. Major front of the casualties has been taken by the children. They say a full generation has been lost.

            Livelihood of the people in the affected areas has been lost.

            Livestock has been killed, the minor business that they were doing in those areas have totally been collapsed. Entire infrastructure in the areas has been destroyed. Roads, the schools, the colleges, the hospitals, all the utilities including electricity, gas, telecommunication facilities stand destroyed at this moment in those areas.

            More than that, the survivors of the calamity are facing unbearable human sufferings. Children have orphaned, the women have been rendered destitute and thousands of people have been disabled and suffering from psychological trauma.  The overall affected areas, ladies and gentlemen, that you see on maps on right and the left and behind us is plus 28,000 square kilometers. I was comparing this with some countries, it almost equals to Netherlands or Belgium. In all 9 districts have been affected, 5 in NWFP and 4 in Azad Kashmir. This accounts for 25 tehsils. Tehsils are the sub-districts or sub-divisions, there have been two to four tehsils in each district. An overall 4000 village clusters have got affected. I call villages as clusters because villages as you go to mountains where this earthquake has struck, it has a core of about 25 to 50 houses but then it has a surrounding on the mountains of a number of houses dispersed all over the mountains. So therefore, a cluster of about 100 houses on the average forms that village.

            Ladies and gentlemen the earthquake struck on 8 October at 08.52 hours.

            The response was extremely swift I would say. First by the people of Pakistan.

            They rose as one, their response was indeed overwhelming and heart warming for any leader of a country. They reached out from the length and breadth of the country for their brethren in distress.  They galvanized, they jelled into one and reached out to that areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP. The army moved fast, the medical assistance of the army in the form of evacuation of the casualties by the evening of 8^th October, by 5 O’clock there were helicopters hovering over every hospital in Islamabad and Rawalpindi waiting to land and unload the. On the same day in the evening the engineers of Pakistan army were moved to open the road access to Muzaffarabad and by about 12 O clock the next day, one of the road accesses via Abbottabad and Garhi Habibullah to Muzaffarabad was opened. This was the greatest achievement which led to faster supplies to the forward areas. By the morning on next day, a brigade which means about 3000 people, had reached their locations and within three to four days forty-fifty thousands troops in the form of two divisions reached their locations. This is no mean achievement by any army of the world.     

            The international community, the United Nations, the NGOs all moved fast. They came into Pakistan to help us. My extreme gratitude to each and everyone of them.

            Ladies and gentlemen, the stage one was the rescue operation. I would like to express deep gratitude to all the teams which came from many countries of the world.

            Without their help we would have lost may lives. Pakistan lacked the technical expertise of reaching out the casualties and saving people from under the rubble.

            It was these rescue teams that helped us. My extreme gratitude and extreme gratitude of the whole nation to these rescue teams who saved lives.

            The stage two of the operation was the relief operation which still continues. Tremendous support, as I said, is available to this relief operation by the international community, by the people of Pakistan within Pakistan and by the expatriate Pakistanis.  The international community, the Pakistani NGOs and the foreign NGOs, the UNO - no words are enough to express our gratitude to all of them.

            Mr. Kofi Annan I would like to express special gratitude to you for your concern and your convening the Geneva Donor Conference where financial support was assured to Pakistan for the relief operations. My I also take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Mrs Kofi Annan who is here with us today sharing our grief.

            The financial support and the supply of relief goods given to us during the relief operation has been massive and the support has helped us in addressing the relief operations problem.

            Pakistan government responded swiftly, it established institutions under the President’s reconstruction initiative. We established the President’s relief fund which is operative now and the people are contributing into it.

            It is totally transparent and it will remain so. We appointed the Federal Relief Commissioner who is looking after the entire gambit of relief operations.

            Then we established Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority which will be responsible for policy formulation and execution of all the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts from now onward. We have also launched a national volunteer movement.

            This we thought as essential, because the spirit, the energy that has been generated, the enthusiasm, the patriotism being displayed by the people of Pakistan, specially by the youth of Pakistan in leaving their jobs and reaching out to the people in the destructed areas, we thought this energy needs to be given a direction, to be channelised for the purpose of supporting the earthquake victims. That is why we have launched this national volunteer movement.

            I will be addressing the first batch of these volunteers who will then be dispatched into the forward areas to help the earthquake victims in the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. This was the response of the government on the strategic level. We indeed confronted many  problems.

            I thought I would try to share them with you very briefly. The first problem was delivery of the relief supply to the people. This included a three stages delivery.

            Number one from places all over the world and from every nook and corner of Pakistan bringing relief supplies to the main centers of the support of relief operations that is Chaklala in this area of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. This was the problem because Pakistan did not have the aircraft lift capacity.  Then the other branch of this forward movement was to take these relief supplies from the main basis in Rawalpindi-Islamabad to the forward basis in the areas of Frontier and Kashmir and in the wake of broken down communication infrastructure lack of helicopter support - this was major problem that we faced.  And then the third stage of moving the relief goods from forward bases to the people, with limited communication infrastructure, few roads reaching out and those roads washed off the only resort was through animal transport and man porters. This was the first problem that confronted us but over the time we have resolved this problem because of international assistance in aircraft lift from foreign countries to Pakistan. By mobilizing the entire railways system of Pakistan and the road transport system to convey goods from within Pakistan to the main basis and then the helicopter fleets that we got from the international community in taking all these goods from the main basis to the forward basis. Then again the helicopter fleets that we have and the animal transport regiment, the mules of the army which took them forward and delivered them to the people.  Therefore ladies and gentlemen as the situation now stands, the logistic support now leaning forward.

            In that the goods moving from main basis to the forward basis is through the road transport and through the forward basis to the people through helicopters so the helicopters have been moved to the forward basis. The other problem that we face was the provision of shelters and there is a race against time as I have shown to you. We are racing against time because the winters are about to set in.

            Snows have already fallen on the peaks and I think first December or the middle of December all the peaks it will be snowing in the areas. Although the valleys  do not receive snow.

            The main issue was provision of shelter and tents to face this winter and may I say again that we had shortage of supply and we appealed the international community and the international community came forward to help us and the entire industry of Pakistan galvanized functioning 24 hours a day and we will meet a target of five hundred thousands tents delivered to the people in those areas by the end of this month. That we feel is sufficient  to move them through the winter in an adequately comfortable manner. So therefore the situation of shelters becomes satisfactory. The last point that we faced was that this areas suddenly in a few minutes got de-moneytized. No body had any money with him/her.  The patients who were brought to various cities of Pakistan did not have a penny. If you discharge them they could not go back, they do not have money to pay the fair of buses. Therefore we thought the immediate action is to moneytize the area and the government has taken very fast action and decided to pump 20 billion rupees which is about 350 million dollars into the areas, giving hundred thousand rupees to each next of kin of a casualty. Fifty thousand andtwenty five thousand to serious and less seriously wounded and twenty five thousand to every household with four hundred thousand households.

            Therefore this twenty billion rupees when pumping through an area of twenty eight thousand square kilometer, in the forward and remote areas of NWFP and Kashmir - may be the poor areas of Frontier and Kashmir - I think  will generate business activity, economic activity and construction activity will itself be generated because of this moneytization of the areas. So therefore ladies and gentlemen I would call the relief operation on the whole satisfactory now with your, with world community’s assistance we are extremely grateful.

            We want to sustain this effort for the next year and that is where the funding is required as brought out by the Secretary General also and I will come to it later.

            Now ladies and gentlemen, comes the main challenge - the main challenge of reconstruction, the main challenge of rehabilitation. Reconstruction deals with housing for the people, four hundred thousand houses. It deals with social sector infrastructure, health and education infrastructure.

            It deals with the physical infrastructure, the roads, the bridges the utilities. It also deals with  administrative infrastructure, the public sector buildings which have all been collapsed.

 That is the reconstruction effort, the rehabilitation  effort deals with special affectees, giving protection to  the special affectees and that is the destitute women, orphaned

children and disabled amputees which the government has undertaken to look after.   

            The second rehabilitation aspect is to generate economic activity, the small business that the people had. We need to rejuvenate that business activity within those areas in those people and lastly to treat trauma cases and psychological cases.  That is the rehabilitation effort that is to be executed in the future from now onwards.

These demand, ladies and gentlemen, more resources  a better strategization and overarching well conceived strategy to deal with the issue and demands more time in the implementation.

I would like to say that for this we have created the Earthquake  Relief and Reconstruction Authority. The strategy has been worked out at the government level, with me and the Prime Minister chairing  all the meetings but the execution and implementation is left  to this authority and we will keep overseeing very very closely. I will like to take the reconstruction effort first of all.

Ladies and gentlemen, the financial assessment and the cost of reconstruction effort - and I am very glad to say that there is a consensus on these figures, consensus between the

United Nations Organizations, the World Bank the Asian Development

Bank and the government of Pakistan - and this figure comes to a total of 5.2 billion dollars. Out of this 3.5 billion dollars is for reconstruction, 1.6 billion dollars is to sustain the relief operation for coming one next year and 100 million dollars is for rehabilitation effort.

            Pakistan cannot go alone and therefore ladies and gentlemen my request for support from the world community. In this reconstruction, I would like to take on the house construction part.

As I said four hundred thousand houses, this figure is  also a consensus figure from everyone so there is no difference  of opinion on the figure that I am quoting. Ninety percent of  these houses are in village clusters in rural areas and only 10 percent in urban areas. We thought of a strategy to implement  and to look on this aspect of construction of house and came to the conclusion that this should be owners driven and this is what the experience of tsunami and other catastrophes of earthquakes in Turkey and other countries shows.

We cannot impose a solution on the people, therefore we would like it to  be the owners driven.  And when I say owner driven, it has been decided  to give roughly 3300 dollars which comes to a maximum of two hundred  thousand rupees to each affected and that is four hundred thousand people. 

And then would like to guide them to facilitate them  to construct  better houses, earthquake proof, meet weather challenges in a much better way than they lived in. We would like to create models of these houses in  all those areas and not only that but also send teams forward which would comprise of the military  engineers who are already there and divided  in the teams of tens  and the national volunteer movement which people in thousands will

be sent forward to the military battalions areas for their administrative support and from their base fan out, reach out to the  people and guide them on how to utilize the money that we are giving  in a manner that their houses are better, they are earthquake proof and improve their living standards.

            That is what I meant by owners driven and not imposed solution to house construction. I think it would be the fastest method of ensuring house construction. We have decided to move very fast and the fastest that we can do. I believe in setting targets which are tough and we try to achieve them. I personally think it is to be owners driven and we have delivered cash to the people. We are delivering 20 billion rupees by the end of this month and the process is going very well.

If we start this  within about six  months which is the  winter period, we should be  able to deliver this money to the  people. And we do that, and if we  guide the construction and

re-erection of the houses, that should be able to be done in  the summer next. Which mean by December-January next year we should be able to complete the construction to a large extent.

            This is a tall order indeed, I do understand it myself but we will push it to meet this target because we are shifting the people in one stage only, from temporary shelter in the tents to the permanent accommodation, no intermediate step.

            The problem that may arise, that which we are cognizant of is the availability of the construction  material which may not be adequate. But we are cognizant of that  we will import from anywhere. 

      I know that India has promised 25 million dollars and we  were thinking of getting corrugated sheets - which is the main say of the accommodation- entire from there. So that is how we will meet the challenge of house construction. Let me come to education infrastructure.

            This we thought will be based on a need based strategy, when I say need based strategy, we intend universalizing education in Pakistan. So therefore much more than reconstructing whatever has lost, we need to go for what is required by the people there, what they should be having in the form of education infrastructure, that will be a need based strategy and we are working and calculating based on that. 

It may be much more than the reconstruction funds that will  be given to us or shared with us because that is based on  the infrastructure that we have  lost. But we will meet the

targets of the need based strategy as I am saying. When this is need based and done by us by the rehabilitation authority  that we have formed, it will certainly be modern, it will be modular, it will fast track construction and we are looking into various forms.

Let me share some figures because ultimately  when I come to the part of donations and sponsorships these figures will hold handy.

            The figure that I will come to in the future will be need based. One primary school in every village cluster. One middle school in every four villages, one high school in every 12 villages and one college in every 50 villages.

            That is three to four college in each sub district or a tehsil.

            Now in accordance with the education in Pakistan, this is very good. So therefore this  is the basis of all our calculation that I am going to come later.

            Let me come to the health infrastructure, this will again be  based on need based strategy. Therefore it will be modern, it will  be modular, it will be fast, it will be prefab, earthquake proof, fire proof  etc. Again evaluation being done by the authority that we have created.

            One word of caution, because a lot of people are coming forward to sponsor two hundred and three hundred bed hospitals, we must adhere to the health structure of Pakistan.

            We cannot create facilities which are not in sync with our own health structure. Our health structure says that basically there is a basic health unit in a village and we will have a basic health unit in each village of hundred household. We will then have the second structure that is the rural health center and there will be one health center for each four villages.

            This was the primary level of  health care, then we have the secondary level of health  care which deals at tehsil level.  It is a 75 bed hospital  therefore there are 25 such hospitals  in each tehsil level.

            Then another tier of the health facility is at district level with 150 bed hospital in all the 9 districts. And then there is a major hospital what we have lost in Muzaffarabad, and that is a 200 bed hospital.

      Therefore, why I highlighted this is, when we  request for sponsorship and people come forward, we will make sure that we adhere to this health structure that Pakistan follows because  otherwise it will be not in sync with our environment and may be it go waste. 

        Then is the issue of provision of utilities, we talked about houses, schools, colleges, hospitals. The utilities, I am just going to highlight two aspects here. According to millennium development goals, we have to give safe drinking water to the world by 2015. We have already planed to provide safe drinking water in Pakistan by 2007 and I am personally spearheading this, myself and Prime Minister are ensuring that we deliver. We will provide safe drinking water to these quake-hit places, to every village there. The other issue is gas, we are looking at provision of gas there- which has not been there at all- so that deforestation in those areas is stopped which is a very big menace there. On the administrative structure, I want to give you one issue only and that is, obviously all the government infrastructure will be on modern town planing basis. We intend shifting from Muzaffarabad that is the major town affected, major city affected, taking the AJK government out of Muzaffarabad about at 20 minutes drive , we have selected a place.

            We are going to take district government to another site and make these modern government structures, planned properly. The space that is left in Muzaffarabad, we will ensure that proper town planning is made on it in a better way and in the future Muzaffarabad is a more attractive place than it is at the moment.

             Ladies and gentlemen, this is the overall reconstruction plan. This entire plan that I have spoken of, will be on a website, the data will be available to each one to see.We will develop that because that data on the website will be the transparent that we are talking about. Anyone will be able to track any element in the whole area, whether it is a school or a college or a hospital or a BHU or RHC or a village. So, therefore, the data will have information about what is being created and where it is being created.

             I will talk very shortly on the rehabilitation and that is, we are facing the problem of destitute women, we have to look after them and orphan children-I took the secretary general to a a rehabilitation center that we have created in Hattian, just about 40 miles from here this we are calling Ashyana which means nest. It is being looked after by the ministry of social welfare- we will hold all the destitute women, orphan children and disabled people in this Ashyana. It is a beautiful place which was lying vacant from the Ghazi Barhotha Power Project.

             We will subsequently create more Ashyanas or nests in the Frontier and in Azad Kashmir to move these people in their own environment. That will be done in reconstruction stage. Then we have to extend micro finance to generate business and economic activity there. We will take forward the micro finance facilities. We have already the Khushaali Bank of Pakistan been activated. They will move forward to assist the people in generating business activity there. We will also open skill training center and this is where the NGOs, volunteer groups will assist us.

             So that was for reconstruction and rehabilitation.

            Ladies and Gentlemen !

             I will now come finally to the point of donations and sponsorships. Frankly asking for anything from anyone does not come too easy to me. But for the country and for the sake of the people affected there, I will go to any extent. And I will talk very frankly to you. We have tried to package the total requirement into packages of houses , schools, colleges, hospitals at various levels in an easy to understand form, transparency in sponsoring and suitability to varying pockets, to an individual pocket within Pakistan or an individual Pakistani sponsoring something or an organization or a state. So I tried to packet it in that manner.

            I will take on housing first of all. To give you an estimate as I have said there are 400,000 houses, each house will cost a maximum of 3300 dollars or Rs 200,000 (two hundred thousand) - that is all.Any Pakistani can give Rs 200,000 lack rupees and I expect Pakistanis to give Rs 200,000. I expect hundreds of them thousands of them.If anyone wants to build a village cluster of 100 houses it will cost only US $ 0.33 million which is two crore rupees and we intend naming that village, that cluster on the sponsor not for anything else but for the assistance that the sponsor has given. And if you may be knowing that in Pakistan we sill have names like Abbotabad and Jacobabad these are places named after the people who created them. May those places were small villages at the time when they were created. So if these villages are sponsored , they will be named after the sponsors. If anybody wants to take a whole tahsil that is a sub-district that will cost about $ 50 million and if a whole district is taken-one of the nine district - the cost will be $ 150 million. So this is the housing and the assistance required in this and suiting various pockets, this is the requirements.  Let me come on to education sector. In this we have three shades of school, I will take each one of them in a fast manner. There are 9500 primary school required, each one costs 1500,000 rupees or 25 thousand dollars. There are 2375 middle schools required, each one of them costs 50 thousand dollars or 3 million rupees. There are 792 high schools required, which cost 83 thousand dollars or 5 million rupees each. There are 190 colleges required which cost 50 million rupees or 830 thousand dollars and finally there is university which has been destroyed. That is the Muzaffarabad University, it will cost two billion rupees or $ 33.3 million. If we were to convert into a sub-district/ tahsil level the entire education system over a tahsil will cost 24 million dollars and entire education system of a district will cost 65 million dollars and the entire education system of the whole place will cost 614 million dollars. This is 30 percent higher than the assessed value in accordance with reconstruction figures arrived at through consensus, which was 472 million dollars. This is more because we are going through a need based strategy.

             Then, let me take the health sector. A BHU, the primary health unit, they are 1140 required, each one costing 0.17 million dollars which is one crore rupees. Rural health centers are 285 each costing 0.33 million dollars 2 crore rupees. Tahsil headquarter hospital which is 75-bed and 25 of these are required. Each one costing 3.3 million dollars or 20 crore rupees.'

            District headquarter hospital with 150-200 beds, nine of them are required costing 4.1 million dollars or 25 crore rupees each.Muzaffarabad hospital is totally destroyed, 200-bed and it could be bigger which involves an expenditure of 5.8 million dollars or 35 crore rupees. And there is a leprosy hospital which was at Balakot, the totally destroyed area. This leprosy center is destroyed, its going to take 1.1 million dollars to reconstruct this center there. So if you take the whole tahsil in 15 million dollars the entire health structure of the sub-district can be taken on and in 46 million dollars the health structure of the entire district can be taken on. This will cost entirely 412 dollars in reconstructing the health infrastructure in all the nine district and this is 36 percent higher then the assessed value again because we are following the need based strategy.

             All this data, ladies and gentlemen will be available on the website so that any sponsor, any doner can track it and know where he has donated and he can go and see it on ground. That is the transparency level that we want to create.

             Therefore, now ladies and gentlemen, I appeal to all Pakistanis in Pakistan and expatriates to donate to sponsor generously . Those who have been endowed by God, those have much more than their requirements, much more than their need, owe it to the nation, owe it to the people there to sponsor anything that they want, what I have said. I also appeal to the international community to show generosity at this moment to help us. We have even thought of adoption of villages, adoption of tahsil, adoption of districts by other cities. I don't see any reason why the affluent cities of Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad cannot adopt a tahsil .It is wi thin their reach and I would appeal to cities of the world to adopt a sub-district or a district.

             May I come to my views or our views on preferred sponsorships. One would prefer sponsoring of health and education facilities rather than houses. Why do I say that, because we have decided that houses to be owner-driven and we are giving two hundred thousands in cash to the person. Now if some donor comes with modern houses, better houses which are costing much more,there will be a disparity and may be those houses are not suiting the people. So therefore let it remain owners driven and that will be when we only guide them what to make and let them make it themselves. I would like to say that cash in the President Relief fund would be better than self construction by any donor. The only thing I can guarantee to anyone here that there will be transparency and there will be total accountability. Why do I say that and that again is for standardization. But however, if at all there is some organization who wants to self construct , they are more than welcome. But the only thing to remain in line with our norms, with our procedure and with our own system. Therefore , a line plan which the reconstruction and rehabilitation authority will have, please coordinate with that line plan so that you create something which is in sync with our own requirements. I said we will assure transparency and accountability and this is our resolve and Prime Minister has also mentioned it. Transparency will be assured through creation of a data on a website available to anyone to see for himself. Accountability will be assured through external auditing, through the tracking by the sponsors , through a very transparent data base that I have set and we are also in process of creating an oversight committee of eminent persons for monitoring or overseeing of all the funds that we are receiving and using. This is maximum we could do. Even on the distribution of cash, which is in very big number, we have ensured that there is a committee of the local government, of the parliamentarians and a military man to ensure that it is delivered to the right person in a transparent manner. That is all for reconstruction and rehabilitation, ladies and gentlemen.

             But I would like to take this opportunity to switch to a different but very important subject. Knowing very well that an Indian delegate is sitting here. And this is India- Pakistan relations.

            Ladies and gentlemen! The earthquake has created a unique feeling of togetherness, of an urge to help each other within the people of Kashmir on both sides of the Line of Control and more than that within the people of India and the people of Pakistan. Therefore I sincerely and genuinely believe that this earthquake, that challenge of this earthquake can be converted into an opportunity of a life time which was never available to India and Pakistan to improve their relations. Therefore I take this opportunity and this forum to appeal to the President and the Prime Minister of India, I appeal also to the entire government of India, I appeal also to the entire opposition in India, I appeal to the people of India at large, I appeal to the business community of India and more than anybody else I appeal to media in India and also in Pakistan, I also appeal to the government of Indian Held Kashmir, I also appeal to the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and other Kashmiri groups, let us together solve the Kashmir dispute once for all.

            Ladies and gentlemen fleeting opportunities do not come every day. If leaders fail to grasp fleeting opportunities, they fail their nation and they fail their people. Therefore let good, let success and let happiness emerge from the ruins of this catastrophe, specially for the devastated people of Kashmir. Let this be the Indian donation to Kashmir. Ladies and gentlemen when talking of donations and assistance to each other I thought it is not a question of haves and have nots. Its not a question of who has more, who has less. We are a world community, living in the common heritage of this global village. It is our love for humanity and feeling for people in distress which motivated us all to support and to donate for Katrina or Tsunami. I on behalf of Pakistan ask for your support now for the quake victims and I would like to conclude with verses from John Donne's, a famous poet and I will read it out:-

            'No man is in an Island entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main, any man's depth diminishes me because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls , it tolls for thee."

            So therefore ladies and gentlemen, help my people, help the people of Pakistan. I thank you all, ladies and gentlemen.

US senators want more aid for quake victims

WASHINGTON: Nine US senators have urged the Bush administration to provide at least one-quarter of the estimated $5.2 billion needed for relief and reconstruction efforts in the quake-hit areas. In a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the senators also asked the administration to divert some of the $600 million appropriated for Pakistan for 2006. Under a bilateral arrangement, this money is meant for economic support funds and for purchasing defence equipment from the US.

In two separate letters, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barak Obama argued that helping the earthquake survivors was not only an important humanitarian task but it was also in America’s ‘geopolitical interest” to do so.

The joint letter, which is signed by nine senators, said that $156 million committed initially was “clearly insufficient to meet the needs of Pakistanis who are without adequate food and shelter”.

It also referred to a preliminary needs assessment by the Asian Development Bank which estimates the cost of effectively implementing a relief, recovery and reconstruction strategy at $5.2 billion, noting that traditionally the US covers “approximately one-quarter of the costs in such situation”.

At a donors’ conference in Islamabad on Saturday, the US increased its aid pledge to $500 million, but US lawmakers have moved two separate resolutions in the Senate and the House of Representatives, urging the administration to raise its contribution to $1 billion.

In their joint letter to Ms Rice, the senators noted that USAID had set aside an additional $100 million for Pakistan, over and above the amounts initially pledged. They said they were concerned that this relocation could affect other priority humanitarian aid programmes, such as Darfur.

In her separate letter, Mrs Clinton drew the administration’s attention to “the very real fear” that “we are about to witness a second wave of deaths caused by cold and disease” if immediate steps are not taken to help the victims.

Noting that the assistance so far provided has been “warmly welcomed by the Pakistani people,” Mrs Clinton said: “People of Pakistan are long and loyal friends of the US. We must do all in our power to alleviate the terrible suffering and tragedy caused by this disaster.”

November 18 updates

Annan meets Musharraf-discusses International Donor Conference

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan held a meeting with the President, General Pervez Musharraf at Aiwan-e-Sadr here Friday, assuring the world body's continued support for Pakistan's reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the quake-ravaged areas. Meeting a day ahead a major donors' conference in the capital, they discussed in detail devastations wrecked by October 8's massive earthquake in Azad Kashmir and the NWFP, with the UN Chief expressing hope for a generous response from the world in the massive reconstruction tasks ahead. "We at the United Nations have been deeply moved over the sufferings of the people as the result of this earthquake," Annan said. He assured that whatever they can do, will do. "The United Nations intends to remain engaged with Pakistan in the long-term, from relief to reconstruction and rehabilitation phases." "We wish to join hands with Pakistan, which can count on the world body for all possible assistance," Annan assured President Musharraf. The UN Secretary General said that much more is required for emergency relief, reconstruction and recovery in the aftermath of the earthquake. He expressed the hope that the international community, private sector and the individual will donate generously at the Donors Conference to meet the challenge. The two leaders also reviewed the reconstruction and rehabilitation requirements as well as measured needed to mitigate the sufferings of the affectees. The President during the meeting said the entire Pakistani nation is grateful to the United Nations and the Secretary General in particular for the way the world responded to the humanitarian tragedy which struck Pakistan. He said the support of the Secretary General and different organs of the United Nations was timely and a source of satisfaction. General Pervez Musharraf briefed the Secretary General about the losses suffered, rescue, relief and rehabilitation plans of the government. He said Pakistan expects whole-hearted support of the international community to meet this challenge.

Rasheed hopes to get appropriate from donors

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday pinned hope that the donor countries would make their generous contributions at the International Donors Conference being held on Saturday for relief and rehabilitation of earthquake victims. Talking to a representative German delegation from media, parliament, think tank and humanitarian assistance workers, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the world community has already contributed a lot and more is expected in cash and kind for the rehabilitation of people in the wake of October 8 catastrophe. He urged the world media to come forward and give due projection to the need for relief and rehabilitation work in the earthquake-afflicted areas of Pakistan.

He thanked the people and the government of Germany for sharing pain being suffered by the people of Pakistan in their hour of need. Answering to questions by the members of the delegation, the Federal Minister said, Pakistan being a peace-loving nation is playing vital role in the war against terrorism despite the ever worst earthquake devastation in the northern parts of the country.

In reply to a question he said in firm tone that there was no question for acceptance of Line of Control as permanent border between India and Pakistan. He said Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf has been striving to seek the peaceful solution of the long-standing issue of Kashmir through composite dialogue process. He said opening of the LoC at five different points for exchange of relief goods is a step but still more efforts are required to let the Kashmiri people allow pass through these points to meet and share the sufferings on either side of the LoC. Replying to another question, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Pakistan had deployed Army in the Waziristan Agency the bordering areas with Afghanistan to root out terrorist activities. He said Pakistan fully supports the President Karzai government in Afghanistan and every possible support is being extended to the brotherly neighboring country. The delegation acknowledged the role and efforts of Pakistan in the war on terror. They also appreciated the government's efforts for the free media in the country. Secretary Information Shahid Rafi, Additional Secretary Information Ahsan Yusaf, Director General PBC Tarique Imam, Managing Director PTV Arshad Khan, Managing Director APP Fazl Ur Rehman Malik, Principal Information Officer Akram Shaheedi and Director General Internal Publicity Ashfaq Gondal also attended the meeting.

Soomro refers tents issue to relevant Senate committee

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate, Muhammadmian Soomro Friday referred the mastter of purchasing locally manufactured tents for the earthquake victims to the relevant committee of the House. On point of order, Leader of the Opposition, Raza Rabbani said the opposition had demanded to refer this matter to the concerned committee for reviewing all its aspects in a transparent manner. He said, keeping in view the national interests ahead of the donors conference, the combined opposition has decided to discontinue its boycott of the House proceedings to help mitigate the sufferings of the affected persons. Leader of the House, Waseem Sajjad welcomed Raza Rabbani's gesture and said we respect them and want to take the opposition along in all matters of national importance. He said the government also wants to deal with all relief relating matters in a transparent manner and it was also the main purpose behind the proposal of setting up a parliamentary committee. Minister for Textile, Mushtaq Ahmad Cheema said all earthquake related matters can be audited by any local or international firm. He also urged the opposition to positively respond to the Prime Minister's proposal of setting-up a parliamentary committee to oversee the rebuilding and rehabilitation plans. This provides a chance to parliamentary leaders to participate in a very important activity for the benefit of the country, he added.

Army constructed more shelters

With the help and assistance of Pakistan Army Engineers around 1350 shelters have been constructed in the quake striken parts of NWFP and AJK. Besides opening of secondary roads after reopening of major roads, the Army engineers have been assisting the local populace to construct shelters for them before the onset of sever cold in the areas. The Army engineers are assisting those people who have recieved financial compensation from the government for the purpose, said ISPR. So far, around 753 shelters have been constructed in Azad Kashmir after the work commenced a week ago. In Bagh city and surrounding areas over 300 shelters could be constructed till yesterday.

In Neelabut, Pakistan Army Engineers assisted 108 families in construction of shelters which could protect them from sever cold which is likely in few days. In Dhir Kot, Berican, Barar, Shaheed Gula, Ali Sojal, Dothan Stai areas 149 shelters have been constructed. Around 107 shelters have been prepared for the affected people in Lumnian and Rub Hali areas of Gari Dupatta while in Jhelum Valley 38 shelters have been prepared. In various affected areas of NWFP 458 shelters have been prepared while the pace of work is picking up especially after opening up of the road communications and it is expected that shelters could be prepared at much faster pace in coming days. On Wednesday alone 217 shelters were prepared in Shawal Najaf, Hugrai, Sarash, Dhong, Jabri Jabbi, Sachal Kalan, Manda Guch Bali Mong, Deoli, Mehra Shamlai and Gari Habib Ullah. All major roads like, Muzaffarbad-Neelum, Muzaffarbad- Chakoti, Balakot-Kaghan, Rawalpindi-Bagh and Rawalpindi-Rawlakot have been opened while the work is in progress on secondary roads Paddar-Mohra Sadiq -Chakoti, Bagh-Chattar- Chakoti in Azad Kashmir and road Naran-Dheri and Naran-Josucha and few others roads in NWFP.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda promises more funds

In addition to already announced $80 million Aid the Asian Development Bank (ADB) would provide more financial assistance to help the earthquake victims to meet their requirements pertaining to relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda stated this at a press conference here on Friday. He said "We will present a relief programme at donor conference here tomorrow". ADB President also expressed the hope that the required funds would be contributed by the World Community for carrying out relief work and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure in the affected areas. He said "International Community would generously contribute to fulfil the needs of the earthquake victims and provide full support for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the damaged caused by the earthquake in Pakistan". While expressing condolences over the loss of precious lives in the earthquake, ADB President said " the earthquake caused huge losses of lives and property in the affected area and it is a real national tragedy". He said our focus would be thousands of affected households, injured family members and number of damaged schools. He said the country had suffered heavily as a result of colossal earthquake.

Pakistan needs about $ 3.5 billion for the gigantic task of reconstruction

Pakistan needs about $ 3.5 billion for the gigantic task of reconstruction of the infrastructure during the next three to five years in the earthquake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP. The country is looking forward to a generous response at the donors conference in Islamabad, PTV reports. On the 8th of October, the 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit 38 thousand square kilometers area of Azad Kashmir and NWFP. The quake damaged most of the infrastructure, including houses, schools, health facilities, roads and other public infrastructure. At the request of the Pakistan government, a joint team from the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and other organizations completed damage assessment in a record time of 19 days. According to the Pakistan government, more than 73,000 people were killed in NWFP and Azad Kashmir, with 3.5 million people displaced and an estimated 1.6 million without adequate food supply.

Pattan demands decentralization of reconstruction process

ISLAMABAD: The government must not ignore the local government system and elected representatives in the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation of the earthquake-affected areas in NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, demands Pattan Development Organization.

On the eve of the Donors Conference in Islamabad that is to be participated by representatives of international financial institutions, the United Nations and 72 countries, Pattan said that the needs of the affected areas could best be met under a decentralized model of governance. Centralization and militarization of the reconstruction process will lead to serious long-term issues of inequitable and exogenous development, leaving out thousands of communities from the reconstruction loop. Experiences from Tsunami and many other disasters in the past give enough evidence that involvement of affected communities and civil society organizations is a must to enhance the quality and distribution of development.

Pattan also raised serious objection to the heavy engagement of military in the long-term reconstruction process especially when local governments are in place in the NWFP and elected MLAs and civil administration in AJK. The role of the military has been marvelous in disaster response and relief delivery, but it has no role in the longer term process of reconstruction and rehabilitation of affected areas and communities.

“This is a civilian role to be performed by elected representatives under the country’s laws. The natural disaster should not become a reason for legal and constitutional deviations,” said a spokesperson for Pattan, adding that the government as well as civil society organizations must facilitate the work of local level institutions, instead of bypassing them.

While the neglect of the local governments in disaster response is understandable, they need not be bypassed now that the process of reconstruction is set to begin with new funds expected to come in. But the fact remains that the Local Government Ordinance (LGO) clearly defines a disaster as famine, flood, cyclone, fire, earthquake, drought and damage caused by force majeure, empowering nazims to take charge, organize and prepare for relief activities in disasters or natural calamities. Similarly, LGO vests powers in district, teshil and union councils to make development plans in certain sectors after thorough consultations with communities.

There is no reason for the government to erect parallel, centralized decision-making structures for the reconstruction process in the presence of a best suited mechanism already available in areas where ethno-political divisions are sharp. Not only that the councilors are closer to people and also victims of the disaster, they are drawn from all economic and social segments of society. Moreover, women councilors can play a pivotal role in bringing forth the gender agenda. “This is also an opportunity for these local level institutions to develop disaster response and management capacities,” said the Pattan spokesperson.

Pattan said that the top-down decision making model has never worked, and it will not work again this time. Instead it will raise serious issues of non-democratic decision making, inequitable distribution of funds and lack of local ownership of development schemes. The issues of transparency and accountability become even bolder considering the billion of dollars that are estimated to be spent in the reconstruction process. At the same time, the centralized disaster governance may itself become an impediment in the way of support from international community, which would rather see greater involvement of elected institutions and communities in development decision-making processes.

Update on AFP's Earthquake Operation

 

AFP's Relief Operation in the earthquake area. We highly appreciate the contributions of cash and kind from all of you. Being together in such challenging situation is a great feeling. The up date of our relief operation's activities is as under:-

1. On 9th October our reconnaissance team visited Ghari Habibullah and Balakot area to assess the on ground situation. 2. On 10 October A SOS message was sent to all the members and friends via email to extend help for earthquake victims. You will be pleased to know that AFP members and their family friends have contributed more than Rs.6.00 million in cash and kind so far.3. From 11 October onward our volunteer members have worked day and night to provide fist aid, food supplies, warm clothes, bedding and tents to the affectees in remote and off the road areas of Ghari Habibullah, Balakot, Ghanool, Batal, Batgram, Thandiani, Besham and Allaiy Valley. 4. We have developed a systemic approach to provide help to the real affectees instead of distributing things on the roadside. Initially our focus was on Ghari and Balakot area but now we have moved our advance base camp to Basham to provide relief assistance to the remote areas of Allaiy Valley and Kohistan.
 

For full report visit AFP web site

International Relief continues to come

International donors continued to fly in emergency relief assistance for quake survivors and more aircrafts landed at Chaklala Airbase on Thursday. Jordan has sent blankets and other material to Pakistan for quake victims while a aircraft from the USA carrying blankets and mattresses also arrived at Chaklala Airbase. United Arab Emirates also sent blankets and other relief goods to Pakistan to help quake victims. Cuba has sent a team of doctors and paramedics alongwith relief goods to provide medical assistance to the injured of earthquake in the affected areas. France has also sent relief goods including blankets and mattresses to the Pakistan. These incoming relief goods are being dispatched from Chaklala Airbase to the quake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP. Relief and rehabilitation activities are also in full swing in quake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP. Several countries have set up their medical camps in quake-hit areas where they are providing treatment to patients while volunteers of NGOs are also working in the affected areas.

Under Secretary General of UN calls on Environment Minister

ISLAMABAD: The Under Secretary General and the Executive Director of the United Nations Habitat, Ms. Anna Tibaijuka called on Federal Minister for Environment Major (Retd) Tahir Iqbal here on Thursday. During the meeting, various under considerations with the United Nation Habitat, aimed at technical and policy support in reconstruction efforts for earthquake victims were discussed.

It is pertinent to mention here that the United Nation Human Settlement Programme, UN Habitat, is the United Nations, Agency for Human Settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. The Federal Minister Major (Retd) Tahir Iqbal said that the task to tackle the problems and difficulties of the peoples of the earthquake hit area is very big and very difficult. He said that the government of Pakistan is making all out efforts for provision of basic facilities of shelter, rehabilitation and other needs to the quake affected people. He said there is urgent need that the UN and international community come forward and extend maximum co-operation and assistance to meet the requirements. He appreciated the cooperation and efforts of the UN for provision of the assistance, and said that all habitat related assistance needs to be noted through focal point i.e. Ministry of Environment.

He highlighted the requirements of the effected people from environmental point of view. The Minister apprised the UN Under Secretary General of damage and loss of human lives caused by the earthquake and said the Pakistan government is fully alive to its responsibilities and desired the international community to increase the cooperation to Pakistan for rehabilitation and reconstruction work. The visiting UN Under Secretary General expressed her condolence on the loss of human lives and damage caused on account of earthquake. She said the UN would do all possible to help Pakistan to mitigate the problems and difficulties on its part as well as through the co-operation of international community. "This is a crisis and needs to be addressed through integrated efforts and assistance by international community", she said. She emphasized the need to mobilize financial support within the country as well as at international level. Secretary Ministry of Environment and other officials were also present on the occasion.

Malaysia and Bhutan arrived

Delegations of Malaysia and Bhutan arrived here on Thursday at Islamabad International Airport to attend the Donors Conference, being held here on November 19. Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Dato Azimi Khalid was representing Malaysia while Ambassador of Kingdom of Bhutan to Pakistan based in Bangladesh Dasho Jigme Tshultim was leading Bhutan delegation in the conference. Talking to journalists, Malaysian Home Minister expressed the hope that international community will play proactive role to support the quake victims. He said more efforts are needed particularly in wake of extreme cold weather in quake affected areas. He said that Malaysia has already provided relief assistance to Pakistan to help the survivors of earthquake. Ambassador of Bhutan Dasho Jigme said " I am visiting Pakistan as well wisher and friend of Pakistan. He said it is very sad that all such happens in Pakistan due to which so many people have lost their lives. About 80 delegations are expected to attend the Donors Conference while 25 countries have confirmed attendance at

11 journalists died in October 8 quake

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (APP): More than 240 persons working for media suffered personal or property losses due to October 8 quake hit areas. According to preliminary report prepared by Pakistan Media Foundation, eleven journalists were killed and seventeen injured while 69 family members of media personnel were killed and 15 injured. One hundred and seventeen houses of media personnel were destroyed and another 54 suffered damages to their homes. According to report, out of 20 press clubs and union of journalists in the area, premises of twelve were either destroyed or damaged while in most cases, furniture and equipment in these premises of media organisations were destroyed. Majority of losses to media personnel and organisations occurred in Muzaffarabad where ten media personnel were killed in the city and eleven were injured. Fifty family members of media personnel were killed and another ten were injured in Muzaffarabad while 109 houses of media personnel were destroyed and another 12 suffered damage to their houses. The buildings of the information department in Muzaffarabad have become structurally unstable and may have to be demolished, while buildings housing radio and television stations, and the press club have been destroyed.

The broadcast tower of Pakistan Television has also been destroyed, but the broadcast tower of Radio Pakistan is still standing. The building renting office space to daily newspapers, Siasat and Mahasib has become structurally unstable. Several houses in the residential colony for the staff of Radio Pakistan collapsed causing loss of life and injuries to family members of radio employees. Daily Mahasib restarted editorial functions from tents with printing done in Islamabad. Daily Siasat plans to start publication by mid November. The roof of the Abbotabad Press Club was collapsed. Houses of all 17 journalists of Balakot have been destroyed. Three media personnel were injured, 12 family members killed and one seriously injured. In the town of Bagh in Azad Kashmir, one journalist was killed, another injured, homes of 16 journalists were destroyed and two were damaged. Other cities visited by the PPF mission where journalists suffered losses of family members and property include; Alai, Bafa, Bakot, Batal, Battgram, Chutter Plan, Dheerkot, Dhodhiyal, Gharhi Dupatta, Gharhi Habibullah, Jabar, Jabori, Mansehra, Rawlakot and Shinkiari.

UN-Pakistan launch early recovery plan

ISLAMABAD: In the lead-up to a major earthquake conference in Pakistan, the government and the United Nations (UN) on Wednesday released a detailed plan for assisting the millions affected by the October 8 disaster.

"The UN is operating lifesaving and recovery efforts at the same time," says UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, Jan Vandemoortele. "Under this plan we will work to bridge the phase
from relief to reconstruction by shifting from saving lives to restoring livelihoods," he said in a press statement issued here.

Under the plan, outlined in the Early Recovery Framework document, USD 398 million dollars will be needed to help people in ten sectors:
shelter, employment/ livelihoods and agriculture, governance, environment, education, protection, food and nutrition, health, water and sanitation.

The earthquake, which took more than 73,000 lives, has totally shattered communities all over northern parts of Pakistan. The functioning of public offices is severely weakened as documents are buried under the rubble and civil servants are demoralized; schools are destroyed, and basic infrastructure like water pipes and roads are gone. As winter approaches, the Early Recovery plan seeks to coordinate international recovery efforts.

Work under the plan will lay the foundations for full-scale reconstruction later, said Vandemoortele. "The Early Recovery framework will be a critical area of discussion during the conference on Saturday.
This plan outlines how the Government, civil society and the international community can meet people's needs in the period between relief and reconstruction," he added.

Musharraf hopes adequate financial support from abroad

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf has urged international community to understand that Pakistan needs support not only for relief rather for well-strategized planed reconstruction and rehabilitation process.

While addressing at a briefing to Islamabad-based foreign correspondents, he maintained that for the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase, Pakistan had negligible pledges as yet and expected that the world assistance would match its outpouring for the Tsunami.

"We need continued financial assistance from the world community to implement the task, which is quite a big challenge for Pakistan," he added. “I am to unveil the plan that will package all the requirements and set out fairly accurate estimates of financial assistance needed for the most crucial phase of reconstruction in November 19, donors' conference. The countries hit by Tsunami were easily accessible while we are confronted with a much more difficult task of reaching out to people in the difficult mountainous regions," he pointed out.

He hoped that the international community would assist Pakistan in this hour of need as no country in the world alone could handle a disaster of such massive magnitude. He further hoped that besides UN Secretary General Kofi Anan, the Conference would be well attended by the representatives of donor countries and International Financial Institutions (IFI).

He added that the United Nations, ADB, the World Bank and the government have together reached a consensus figure of around $5.1 billion for reconstruction and rehabilitation. This includes $3.5 billion for reconstruction, $1.5 billion for sustaining the ongoing relief efforts throughout the next year and $100 million for rehabilitation.

President Musharraf said he would ask for financial assistance and sponsorship of construction of houses and infrastructure in the areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP, decimated by last month's quake. He hoped that the donors' conference would help raise the required assistance, saying, many world leaders had spoken to them and their response was very positive.

When asked about Sangla Hill case, President General Pervez Musharraf condemned the recent incident of violence in Sangla
hill and urged both the Muslim and Christian communities of the area to show tolerance. "It is all the more condemnable in view of the gigantic task the country has faced with in terms of relief and reconstruction in the quake-shattered areas”, he added. The President said a thorough investigation has been launched into the incident but stressed that people must show tolerance and live in peace with each other.

Donors-Conference: Over 300 foreign delegates expected

ISLAMABAD: Over 300 delegates from foreign countries, agencies and corporate sector are expected to attend the November 19 donors' conference as the scale of devastation in the aftermath of October 8 earthquake continues to reveal its ugly face. 

According to a statement issued here on Monday, the conference would discuss the long-term reconstruction and humanitarian needs in the wake of widespread death and destruction in Azad Kashmir and NWFP.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will conclude the daylong conference while UN Secretary General Kofi Anan, high-ranking representatives from the donor countries, presidents of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Vice President South Asia World Bank, UNDP Administrator and heads of a number of international institutions would attend the meeting. 

The worst calamity in Pakistan's history has left more than 73,000 people dead, nearly 69,000 seriously wounded and an estimated three million people without shelter in area spread over some 28,000 square kilometers.  One of the biggest challenges for the government is to reconstruct the quake-ravaged areas. The World Bank and the ADB have estimated that the cost of the devastating quake will exceed 5 billion US dollars which includes estimated cost for relief, reconstruction and livelihood support for victims.  These costs are in addition to the 1.6 billion dollars that United Nations has estimated will need to be spent on relief efforts. 

The conference will discuss the damage assessment reports of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Pakistan`s Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) and is expected to announce more donations.  Based on the data complied by ERRA, President Musharraf would unfold a plan for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the ravaged people and the areas and would appeal for more assistance. The need for further assistance became even more pressing after the United Nations announced it was fast exhausting relief goods in its stocks, and asked the world community to provide assistance on priority basis.