UNHCR gets $6.8m as quake funds, seeks additional $11.2m
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—A fresh contribution from Norway has brought the UN refugee agency's earthquake relief fund to US$6.8 million, but more is needed to save lives in the next few weeks before the onset of winter.
This week, Norway announced the donation of 7 million krone (US$1.085 million) to UNHCR in Pakistan, joining other donors like Sweden (over $2.5 million), Japan ($1 million), Canada (over $854,000), Turkey ($500,000, plus land transport for NATO airlift from southern Turkey), Italy (over $323,000) and the Czech Republic ($300,000). "Winter is at our doorstep," said UNHCR Representative in Pakistan Guenet Guebre Christos. "This is a critical time to give earthquake survivors a roof over their heads and somewhere warm to ride out the brutal cold. We are very grateful for the support we've received thus far, and appeal for more funds for this life-saving operation."
As head of the camp management cluster in the UN joint response to the October 8 earthquake, UNHCR is currently assisting the Pakistan military, local and international NGOs in 18 organised camps with a capacity for 3,200 displaced families. It is also working with partners to reach out to hundreds of spontaneous camps that have sprung up across the affected areas.
The agency needs $18 million by the end of November to set up 30 camps for 150,000 quake survivors. Despite the $6.8 million already pledged, the shortfall of $11.2 million will affect UNHCR's ability to continue distributing relief supplies like tents and blankets as winter closes in, and its ability to deploy quick impact mobile teams to solve technical problems - like water and sanitation - in organised and spontaneous camps.