Biggest relief, rescue operation ongoing in most difficult terrain

Every possible relief and rescue effort is in hand in the earthquake-ravaged areas comprising the most difficult rugged hilly terrain. Hats off to the teams engaged in service to tens of thousands of injured survivors and millions rendered shelterless by the October 8 qauake that claimed more than 53,000 lives.
The major contributor to the efforts is the Pakistan armed forces, with around 55,000 officers and men in the forefront of the massive relief operation. The local and foreign based NGOs, United Nations and its various organizations like WHO, WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, and also the friendly countries are in no way behind. They are making generous contributions.
A large number of volunteers drawn from across the country have also been contributing their share to mitigating the sufferings of their brethren in Azad Kashmir and NWFP. Substantial emergency help from US and other countries in response to appeals by President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has raised hopes Pakistan would get similar assistance in the gigantic task of reconstruction in the quake-battered region.
Aid in cash and kind has also come from Afghanistan, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, European Union, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, India, Ireland, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Libya, Lebanon, Maldives, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sarajevo, South Korea, South Africa Singapore, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Syria, Sri Lanka, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Turkish Cyprus, Tunisia, UAE, UK, USA, Uzbekistan and Yemen. Besides, providing financial support, these countries have sent relief goods amounting to 2,100 tons, including food, medicines, cloth, water, and miscellaneous items. In addition the relief supplies included 34,536 tents and 336,760 blankets, which are the most urgenly needed items.
There are several search and rescue teams from USA, UK, Spain, Russia, Turkey, China, and UAE. A number of NGO’s and aid agencies are also in Pakistan to provide relief. These include ICRC teams from Belgium and Holland, FAO/IFAD, 11 French NGOs, Medicines Sans Frontiers, NATO, OIC, Swiss Agency for International Development Cooperation (SDC) and Geneva Humanitarian Assistance Coordination.
At present over 810 doctors and paramedics from the friendly countries like Afghanistan, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Qatar, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, US, Malaysia, Spain, Hungry, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Czech Republic, Estonia, Japan, South Korea, UAE, Canada, Cuba, and Ukraine are active in the quake affected areas. The Armed forces’ medical teams made up of 125 doctors and 350 paramedics have spread out in the quake-stricken region. The Military Hospitals at Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Murree, Jehlum, Kharian, Mangla, Lahore, Gujranwala and Karachi have been providing medical treatment to the critically injured people evacuated from the quake zone.
Almost 21,250 injured were evacuated to these hospitals by the helicopters of Army Aviation and from friendly countries like, USA, Afghanistan, Germany, France and UAE, besides UN, Edhi Welfare Trust, Agha Khan Foundation, and ICRC. The PAF’s C-130 and Pakistan Navy’s Fokker aircraft have also airlifted the critically wounded to various hospitals in the country. The helicopters have so far made a stream of sorties for as many as 2,750 hours.
The helicopters in operation included Chinook, Black Hawk, Sea Hawk, MI-17, MI-15, Puma, Bell-412, Y-12, Seaking, Aleut, CH-53, Jet Ranger, AB-139, Kamov, Bell 212, UHAH, and MI-8. The US would soon provide another 25 heavy-lift helicopters. During these tireless round-the-clock flying operations, four officers and two non-commissioned officers of the Army Aviation embraced martyrdom besides loosing two valuable MI-17 choppers.
With reopening of blocked roads by army engineers, relief goods have also been pouring into the affected areas on trucks and other vehicles. Pakistan Army deployed a sizeable number of animal transport, using mules to reach out to the stranded people. Soldiers also carried relief goods on their backs and brought quake victims on their shoulders from the remote high altitude hamlets.
As far as the contributions of the countrymen at this critical juncture are concerned these have been highly commendable as they stood up like unitedly to meet the challenge. Almost everyone has contributed his or her share to mitigate the sufferings of the quake-hit people. From Punjab and Sindh around 1,000 volunteer doctors and paramedical staff are performing their duties in the quake-afflicted areas. The government of Pakistan has imported around 250,000 doses of anti-tetanus and measles vaccines.
The focus of efforts so far has been on relief and rescue but with the passage of time these efforts would need to be diverted towards rehabilitation and reconstruction as the winter in these areas has already set in and soon, in most parts, it would start to snow. The US has announced to send a team of engineers to Pakistan. Around 1000 engineers from the NATO to help in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the displaced people are also expected to reach here soon. —APP