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| India-Pakistan |
| Quake survivors beg for shelter from cold |
| 2008-11-03 |
| Villagers in areas of Balochistan hit by a powerful earthquake demanded shelter on Sunday, saying they need help before a bitter winter sets in. The 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck Balochistan on Wednesday, destroying or damaging thousands of mud houses and killing at least 215 people. The epicentre was in Ziarat -- a picturesque valley where night-time temperatures have falling below freezing. "We've got food, we've got relief, but we don't have tents which can save our children from the cold," said Rehmat Kakar, a 70-year-old farmer standing by the rubble of his house in Wam Khazi village. "We want those tents urgently ... please save our children, don't let them die," said Kakar, adding that four of his seven children were killed in the quake. Scores of aftershocks -- some nearly as strong as the original quake -- have jolted the region since Wednesday. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has appealed for $7.7 million to step up its emergency operations. "Our priority will be to provide shelter as winter sets in," said Pascal Cuttat, the head of the ICRC delegation in Islamabad. "Because of continuing aftershocks, many people decided to sleep outdoors at altitudes of 2,000 to 2,500 metres," he said. Another villager said with winter just weeks away, government aid efforts would be too slow. "They should just give us money and let us rebuild our own houses," said Abdul Wahid. There have been no reports of outbreaks of disease since the quake, but aid officials say without proper shelter, people, especially children, would be vulnerable to common health risks. A doctor from the paramilitary Frontier Corps helping with the relief effort said he was seeing many people, most of them children, with upper respiratory tract infections. "We're receiving about 100 patients daily and the number may go up in coming weeks because of the cold," said the doctor, Usman Ahmed, at a clinic set up in Wam Khazi. "Medical facilities are here, but we need to do something urgently to keep people warm," he added. The quake is one more headache for a government struggling with a balance of payments crisis and a surge of militant violence, but allies have promised help. Saudi Arabia is giving $100 million, while the US and China had promised $1 million each for rehabilitation work. Japan and several other countries had also promised help, and the World Health Organisation said it was sending two truckloads of essential medicines and supplies. The World Food Programme said it would provide 700 tonnes of dry food rations in initial relief supplies for an estimated 20,000 homeless. But one aid group complained of poor coordination. "There's duplication, like two agencies doing similar jobs in the same place," said Hafizullah Khan of the Muslim Hands international aid group. Meanwhile, official sources said that survey teams would start assessing the damage in the quake-hit areas of Balochistan on Monday. They said the findings would facilitate the government in its plans for rehabilitation. The sources also rejected reports that the pace of relief efforts is not up to the mark. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 inshallah |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2008-11-03 19:37 |
| #8 Thanks, eric -- they are countrymen to be proud of, indeed. It seems to me some of our Rantburgers are/were associated with that outfit, but my memory is a bit porous these days. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-11-03 15:10 |
| #7 I suggest having a look at the movie " beyond the call" then you can really see how true USA military guys act. |
| Posted by: eric the norwegian 2008-11-03 14:54 |
| #6 heh heh |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-11-03 14:19 |
| #5 ..it was sooo cold you couldn't beat a djinn out your wife with 2 sticks. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-11-03 12:53 |
| #4 $100 million you say? Sounds like it's under control then. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2008-11-03 12:36 |
| #3 Maybe the Soddies will help. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2008-11-03 12:32 |
| #2 How cold was it, Johnny... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-11-03 10:01 |
| #1 Allan will provide |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-11-03 07:29 |