Survivors’ hopes raise as Donors’ meet today
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—All arrangements have been finalized for International Donors Conference to be held today (Saturday) for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the earthquake victims. More than 300 representatives from 56 countries and and 26 International Donor Agencies from all over the world will attend the conference. Infallible security arrangements have been made for the participants of the conference. India will be represented by Minister of State for External Affairs Eddapakath Ahamed who arrived late on Friday to participate in an International Donors’ Conference.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf will present the comprehensive and consolidated rehabilitation and reconstruction plan for affectees and he would also ask international community for the provision of 5.2 billion US dollars for rehabilitation and reconstruction work. United Nation Secretary General Kofi Annan and at least 300 Foreign Ministers, Assistant Foreign Secretaries, Ministers for International Development and Cooperation and other central representatives from more than 50 countries have reached Islamabad for the conference.
The President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s address will be expected as the foremost importance in the conference while UN secretary general will also stress for the provision of aid in large quantity from the international community. Central representatives of the International monitory fund (IMF), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), JYCA, DFDI, European Union, Commonwealth and other representative of the different countries will participate in the conference.
The future of Pakistan’s earthquake survivors hinges on an international donors’ conference that begins here on Saturday. Thousands could be left without shelter to help them survive the Himalayan winter unless foreign donors produce the money to help them, aid agencies warned ahead of the meeting. Even if they survive the snow, which has already begun falling in parts of quake-hit northern Pakistan, their longer-term future also depends on the international community’s financial support.
“Long-term relief and reconstruction would mean creation of new cities to relocate people before their cities can be rebuilt. This can take any time between one year to five years,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told reporters. The United Nations has still only received about a quarter of its 550-million-dollar emergency appeal for aid over the next six months, vital to get food and shelter to people before the bitter winter. Long-term, Pakistan needs about 5.2 billion dollars and is pinning the hopes on Saturday’s conference. For the short-term relief and rehabilitation it has received pledges of 2.46 billion out of which only 211.2 million has been received, according to government officials.
“It will be a ministerial-level conference and around 50 countries have been invited,” Aslam said. A foreign ministry statement said 25 nations had confirmed their attendance. In addition, about 30 international organisations and 15 international financial institutions are also to attend the gathering, which is due to open at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) at Islamabad’s Convention Center. Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf will unveil a strategy on plans to handle the mammoth task of rehabilitation of the victims, and reconstruction of infrastructure devastated by the October 8 earthquake in the country’s northern regions. The quake killed more than 73,000 people in Pakistan, left 3.5 million homeless, and also killed more than 1,300 in India.