US pledges to play vital role in quake rebuilding

WASHINGTON—The United States, which has pledged to provide a total of $510 million for relief and reconstruction, has plans to invest in programs to provide training and resources so that people in earthquake affected areas “can once again earn their own living and regain economic independence.”
USAID sources Thursday stated that it was imperative that homes and public buildings are rebuilt using earthquake resistant engineering standards which will protect the Pakistani people from future disasters. The USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios has assured that the the United States Government would provide reconstruction assistance in four areas – education, health, employment programs, and shelter.
This, according to him, was in response to priority areas set by the Government of Pakistan. Natsios has said the United States “stands ready” to rebuild shattered schools and health facilities to hasten the affected areas’ return to normalcy. In recent years, President Bush committed the United States to assist Pakistan with $3 billion in foreign and security assistance over the 2005-2009 fiscal years.
The news of the October 8 earthquake brought the U.S. to pledge $50 million in relief funds immediately following the earthquake, which have been used for shelter for tens of thousands of people and medical supplies for over a hundred thousand people. The United States military has provided up to 24 helicopters vital for delivering relief supplies, two mobile emergency hospitals to treat the sick and injured, an engineering unit and heavy m! achinery to open roads and clear debris, all supported by 1,200 U.S. military personnel currently in Pakistan.
The United States raised its commitment to $156 million at the Geneva pledging conference. And to underscore U.S. commitment to Pakistan in its time of need, Administrator Natios announced in Islamabad on November 19, in the donors’ conference, that the United States increases its pledge to a total of $510 million for relief and reconstruction. This includes $300 million in cash, $110 million in military in-kind support for relief operations, and $100 million in U.S. private contributions.
President Bush has asked five of the United States’ most prominent corporate chief executive officers to lead a private fundraising effort for the newly-created South Asia Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Fund. According to USAID chief, the U.S. Presidential delegation visiting Pakistan’s earthquake zone, “came away shaken by the scope of the destruction but heartened by the response of the world community and the resilience of the Pakistani people.”
These chief executive officers visited Pakistan earlier last week to view the devastation. Natsios has expressed his confidence that the private sector chief executives would reach the $100 million goal they have set for their efforts. The Islamabad International Conference has set the tone for moving collectively from relief to reconstruction mode, as it provided a chance to develop a clearer understanding of the likely challenges ahead.
In this context, the participants were also appreciative of the ten strategic principles described by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, as were seen as laying a framework for the reconstruction effort. Highlighting these set principles, the U.S. delegation at the Islamabad donors’ conference “associated” itself them. In the words of Administrator Natsios, these are “thoughtful and useful guidance” for all donor governments, NGOs, and international organizations to follow in providing assistance to the Pakistani government in this massive reconstruction effort. —Agencies