US pledge for long term support

“The United States has reiterated its pledge for sustained assistance to the quake stricken people assuring the government that it will make all out efforts to seek out much needed international support for carrying out rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the areas devastated by the Oct 8 earthquake.
For this purpose a US Presidential delegation headed by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes is in Pakistan to get the first hand knowledge about the damages caused by the Oct 8 devastating earthquake. The visit is important as it would provide the members of the delegation an opportunity to gauge the extent of the sufferings of the earthquake affected people as well as the scale of the crisis the country is going through.
After visiting the earthquake affected areas in Azad Kashmir, the leader of the delegation Karen Hughes is reported to have renewed US pledge to provide continuing and sustained assistance to earthquake affected people. “I am very much touched by the spirit of the people here in the face of this horrific natural disaster and by their resilience and the determination they have shown…It is very important that children are back in classes. They should have a feeling of some kind of normalcy as soon as possible.”
With respect to mustering world support for additional funding, the US under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy said, “We will help Pakistan diplomatically to raise funds as US Secretary will be visiting the world during this week… We will be talking to United Nations and others to urge all of us to do more as this is a catastrophic event, as we witnessed today, a lot of people still need our help…We are also urging our international partners to step up efforts and join us in giving direct help to people of Pakistan and Kashmir which they need now and over the long term…We are committed to doing more and to pursue other world in this regard.”
Reportedly, for this purpose US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit important capitals of the World to raise awareness about the earthquake affected people. It may be pointed out that President George W. Bush has personally taken the big initiative to rise more funding and announced to set up South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund (SAERF) on Nov 9. “The Fund has been created to provide critically needed funds and supplies for thousands of people recovering from the 7.6 magnitude that killed over 73,000 people and rendered over 3.5 million homeless.
Commenting on the gravity of the situation the visiting US under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes said, “It is very heart breaking to see the destruction but it is very heart warming to see the men and women in uniform, the private citizens of America working here and trying to help the victim.” She added, “The situation is still an emergency as many people are still without shelter and it is getting colder with each passing day. The US government treats Pakistan as a friend and has provided relief funds worth US $156 million for providing transportation, food, medicine, shelter, and money and disaster-relief management expertise. ..Our military is busy in helping the people, helicopters are conducting operation and all these things show how much we care about Pakistan.” And more aid is in the pipe line for meeting the needs of the people in the quake affected areas,
The US reassurance that it would not leave Pakistan in the lurch in this critical hour is encouraging. Expressing her sympathies with the affected people Karen Hughes said “America wants to assure the people here that we are here to stay as we intend to help not only with the first weeks of the relief but also for the long term reconstruction. Pakistan is friend of America and we want to help,” The delegation leader also promised that the US would inform the American public about the severity of the catastrophe and push Americans back home and other donor nations around the world for doing more to assist the earthquake victims.
It may be pointed out that already, the US volunteers, doctors, military personnel and NGO’s are engaged in the humanitarian activates in the earthquake ravaged areas. In this regard mention must be made of the well-known US helicopters Chinook that are presently involved in vital air lift operations, saving the lives of tens of thousands of people in the quake hit areas.
Reportedly, the leader of the US presidential delegation has hailed the comprehensive reconstruction and rehabilitation plan adopted by the government to cope with the daunting challenge. Under this strategy the individuals, local and international firms, organizations and countries would be given a chance to sponsor a family, house, school, college or hospital in the affected areas. President Pervez Musharaff will announce this “sponsorship scheme” on November 19 in his address to international donors’ moot, which is being seen as an important event in terms of rising additional funding for the relief and reconstruction efforts.
It is hoped that the US business leaders would be encouraged to join in efforts to help Pakistan in the important phase of reconstruction and rebuilding. And the American people that are known for their generosity would come forward responding positively to the idea of sponsoring a school, a clinic or a library etc. It is expected that the visit of the US presidential delegation to the earthquake affected areas of Azad Kasmir and NWFP would be helpful in mobilizing resources in the United States for further collaboration and making the American people ready to provide all possible help to Pakistan in this hour of trial.

—Mohammad A. Suhail (INP)