“US donates $100,000 as quake relief to Pakistan” — ‘The US will provide $100,000 in emergency relief to assist communities and individuals affected by the earthquake that struck Pakistan on Saturday. … ” (Hindustan Times, India)
This generosity was matched by a heartfelt statement issued yesterday afternoon on paper by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (miserly I-can’t-be-bothered-with-third-world-people presidential wannabe):
I send my deepest condolences to all those affected by today’s earthquake centered in northern Pakistan. The devastation in northern Pakistan and on both sides of the line of control in Kashmir is a terrible tragedy for the people of the region.
I spoke with the foreign ministers of both Pakistan and India this morning to convey our sympathy and offer whatever assistance may be needed.
At this difficult time, the United States stands with its friends in Pakistan and India, just as they stood with us and offered assistance after Hurricane Katrina.
The British followed with a donation of $100,000 pounds. Australia has donated $500,000. A South African NGO has donated ” R3-million.”
Cynicism aside, I’m sure that the unknown minions in the State Dept. are burning the midnight oil to get aid and money to the devastated countries. You know — the ones that bear-and-grin-it through whichever administration and Congress they must deal with.
The latest figure, via the Sun-Times, is 20,000 dead in Pakistan alone. The Memeorandum has extensive, easy-to-scan summaries of the latest news on the earthquake. And Oui’s diary on the earthquake, up since early yesterday, has provided essential information for us. BELOW the fold, what the U.N. is doing:
A recent press release from the U.N.:
UN PROVIDES CASH TO EARTHQUAKE-HIT PAKISTAN
WHILE EXPERTS COORDINATE RELIEF RESPONSE
New York, Oct 9 2005 11:00AM
United Nations experts in Pakistan coordinating the humanitarian response to yesterday’s massive earthquake today set up structures to facilitate the relief effort, which is also being supported by an initial cash grant the world body has provided to the Government.
The eight-member UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) set up a coordination centre in Islamabad, an on-site coordination centre in Muzaffarabad and a reception centre at Islamabad airport in order to assist national authorities to deal effectively with international aid.
Six additional experts are expected in Pakistan later today, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In Islamabad yesterday, the UN Disaster Management Team met with most of the international and national non-governmental organizations working in the field of humanitarian assistance.
That team comprised three UN inter-agency rapid assessment groups which deployed today. The first, led by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province. The second, led by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), is in Jammu and Kashmir. The third, headed by the International Non-Governmental Organisations Forum, is in the Northern Areas.
OCHA has already released a $100,000 emergency cash grant for immediate delivery of relief aid.
Following tremors yesterday that recorded 7.4 on the Richter scale, there have been more than ten aftershocks of magnitude from 5.2 to 6.3, OCHA said. Massive destruction has taken place in six northern districts of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province and in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir State, including Muzaffarabad, where reports indicate large-scale causalities and injuries.
The high intensity of the earthquake in Pakistan was also felt in Afghanistan and across northern India. In India, where buildings have collapsed, official reports confirm the death of more t
and more than 400 injured. There is minor damage in Afghanistan, where two people are reported to have been killed.
2005-10-09 00:00:00.000
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For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news