Combined relief efforts continue: NA told
By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Education, Let Gen. (Retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi Friday said that combined efforts are continuing for relief of earthquake stricken people in Azad Kashmir and NWFP. Speaking in the National Assembly, he said armed forces, civil administration and volunteer organization are making combined efforts to reach to the people in the far flung areas. He said that tents, foods and medicines are being provided to the people living on top of the hills. Setting aside the impression that government was preventing people from taking part in relief operations, he said “We welcome all the volunteers who want to participate in rehabilitation efforts”.
The Minister informed that roads are being cleared by Frontier Works Organization (WFO) and army battalions. Terming the task very difficult, he said, steps are being taken to speed up this work. Regarding revival of education system, he said ten teams have been sent for carrying out survey to assess the needs of various areas. He said in the first phase, tentage schools will be set up to start classes.
Javed Ashraf Qazi said that NWFP government has sufficient number of teachers deploy in quake-hit areas in the province. The Azad Kashmir government will arrange teachers from the areas which were not hit by the quake, he added. He said the construction of homes will be started in a planned manner adding, an authority has been constituted which is reviewing various designs. About losses to armed forces deployed in the area, he said the troops deployed on the forward positions suffered loss of lives and property.
Agencies add: Federal Relief Commissioner Major General Farooq Ahmed Khan again appealed on Friday for more winterised tents to help affected people living in remote areas of quake-hit Azad Kashmir and NWFP. “We urgently need winterised camps,” he told reporters in Islamabad saying with winter fast approaching, sufferers were running against time. The Commissioner underlined that unless received in time, it would be difficult to timely despatch these tents in the remote areas.
Khan said the October 8 quake had displaced 525,000 people and demand for camps was rising. He stressed people needed winterised and not the normal camps in the wake of cold weather. “It is crucial that all donors and NGOs note that only double-fly, waterproof, winterised tents are useable in the affected areas. The preferred specification is for shelter tents capable of housing four to six persons,” he added. The Federal Commissioner also revised the death toll to over 51,300 fatalities with over 74,500 wounded. “The top priority is to provide medical care and field hospitals continue to work round the clock, both those set up by the Pakistan army, NGOs and international agencies,” he added.
He, however, said special medical equipment like portable x-ray machines and laboratories were urgently required for surgery and treating seriously wounded. The Health Ministry with the assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO), has established Disease Surveillance and Control System to prevent the spread of disease.
A network of Public Health Officers is spreading across the affected areas to operate a Disease Early Warning System to ensure appropriate measures were in place to combat potential outbreaks. The Relief Commissioner said as of October 20, 21 field hospitals, 15 medical teams and nine rescue teams were on the ground to assist the wounded.
Khan said 200 sorties flown on Thursday to carry relief goods and transport wounded people. During the last 24 hours significant amount of relief goods had been delivered, he added. He informed that water and power supply to all major towns and villages had been restored. Of the 118 water sites inspected, 64 had been declared safe while the remaining needed chlorinated.