Aid for Pakistan filters in
Donor countries have been sending doctors, helicopters, food, tents and sniffer dogs to Pakistan as the true scale of the weekend’s earthquake becomes clear.
More than 20,000 have been killed but that is likely to rise with many people still buried under rubble. Hundreds of thousands have been left homeless, and international donors have announced millions of dollars in emergency aid.
An eight-member UN team has begun coordinating relief in the worst-hit areas on Tuesday.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR said aid trucks were being sent from Peshawar to the badly affected Mansehra district in Pakistan‘s North West Frontier Province.
The Asian Development Bank said it would offer $10 million, reallocated from existing projects, for immediate assistance for the worst-affected areas of Pakistan.
The International Red Cross said it aimed to provide emergency food and shelter to 120,000 vulnerable people stranded in the freezing autumn conditions.
Nato offer
Nato prepared to offer troops, aircraft and humanitarian aid to Pakistan. About 50 German troops have already been sent from Nato’s peacekeeping force in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Aljazeera’s Pakistan correspondent Ahmad Zaidan reported that relief teams arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday from Libya, Algeria and Jordan.
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American helicopters are being |
The largest aid donations came from the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, which donated $100 million each, he said.
The Pakistani High Commission in London reported that a UAE special aircraft comprising rescue vehicles, sniffer dogs and relief goods reached PAF Base Chaklala on Monday to carry out rescue activities in affected areas of Azad Kashmir and North West Frontier Province.
Yemen also pledged to send two aid planes.
Zaidan reported that the US has offered $50 million in emergency aid funds. President George Bush also offered to send American helicopters.
Several transport aircraft have already brought relief supplies, heavy equipment and a humanitarian coordination team, and further flights are due to arrive on Tuesday.
Aid workers
A disaster assistance response team is also being sent to help relief coordination. The European Union has aid workers on the ground in Pakistan and has allocated €3.6 million ($4.4 million) in initial aid.
South Africa said it was sending 18 doctors, 10 paramedics, and 30 tonnes of aid.
Australia raised its aid contribution to A$10 million ($7.6 million), which would be used to buy medical supplies, field hospitals, water containers and purification tablets.
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Volunteers prepare bags of grain |
A French 737 Boeing carrying a rescue team comprising 26 persons and two sniffing dogs along with earth moving equipment also arrived on Monday at PAF Base Chaklala.
Four Turkish Air Force aircraft carrying relief goods, medicine, food items and eight rescue teams have also arrived at the PAF Base.
Germany and the Netherlands also sent help, while Hong Kong‘s richest tycoon Li Ka-shing said he would donate $500,000.
The Pakistani High Commission in London reported that the British and Irish governments have pledged ?1.1 million ($1.9 million). British charities have collected ?3 million, and a further ?3 million was collected by Islamic Relief’s UK branch.
Heartfelt sympathy
Queen Elizabeth II, in a condolence message to the president of Pakistan, expressed her “heartfelt sympathy”, while British Prime Minister Tony Blair telephoned General Pervez Musharraf to express condolences.
Japan has pledged $20 million in grant aid and is also considering sending helicopters and troops. This is in addition to rescue teams and equipment worth ¥25 million ($218,900) already pledged.
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UAE has donated $100 million |
South Korea said it would provide $3 million in aid and send rescue workers to Pakistan.
A 46-member search and rescue team including 18 medical officers from Malaysia was due to leave for Pakistan. Kuala Lumpur also pledged $1 million in aid.
Singapore pledged $200,000 and dispatched a 44-member disaster rescue team, while Sri Lanka, a major victim of the Asian tsunami late last year, offered $100,000 in assistance.
Thailand has also donated $100,000 and offered 50 doctors and nurses, while the Philippine National Red Cross has offered to send a team of doctors and engineers.
Internal assistance
A Chinese aircraft carrying relief goods, sniffer dogs and 50 rescue operation experts reached Islamabad International Airport on Monday.
The Pakistani government dedicated around $100 million for the disaster, Aljazeera’s Zaidan reported.
The government also set up a Federal Relief Commission to step up coordination in a massive rescue and relief operation.
Although a spokesman for the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said aid from India was welcome, he also said any cooperation between India and Pakistan in relief operations would be rejected, Zaidan reported.