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Help Appeal for Pakistan's Earthquake victims |
SE7
Joined: May 23, 2005
Posts: 63
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Dear Mates,
I would like to draw your attention towards the devastating earthquake that rocked northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005 at 0850 hrs local time (0350 hrs GMT). The intensity of the quake was 7.6 on the Richter scale. The earthquake was even more deadly because of its shallow depth (only 10 KM (6 miles)) under the surface. The official death toll stands at 38,000 with 62,000 injured and more than 3.3 million people displaced and made homeless. Whereas, the un-official figure of dead are about 200,000 and 600,000 injured. Damage to property is estimated to be of US$ five billion. Such is the scale of devastation that it will take minimum of 10 years to re-build the whole area once again. The area which is devastated by this earthquake and the number of people made homeless there from puts it the most devastating earthquake in modern history (even more than Tsunami!). International aid is pouring into Pakistan ever since the news broke into the international media and the President made appeals for international aid. I would like to mention here that the earthquake affected terrain is very difficult, the whole area lies in Himalayas Mountain range with some towns’/villages altitude as high as 14,000 feet above sea level (4,200 meters). The difficult terrain is making the rescue and relief efforts very difficult and dangerous, as I write today, some areas are still inaccessible. To make things worse and to add to the miseries of the poor people, the affected area is receiving heavy rain, hailstorms and snowfall which are hampering the aid efforts. Yesterday a chopper of Pakistan Army crashed in the high mountain during rescue and relief sortie killing 6 army personnel onboard, which is the difficulty of the terrain that despite locating the helicopters debris it was not possible to retrieve the dead bodies from the helicopter. The residents are all very poor people who in the normal days didnt had much spare money or property.
International community has responded very positively to the President's appeal for aid, daily about 60 flights are arriving at Chaklala Air base from all over the world with relief goods and search and rescue teams. Many countries have even contributed with cargo helicopters, as the affected area is only accessible through helicopters after closure of all road links with heavy land slides. For many areas, it may take another 10 days to open the road links and other means of communications.
As you all know that Pakistan is a third world country and needs help from the developed countries to undertake this mammoth task of search and rescue, relief and rehabilitation of affected people etc. In this regard, the President of Pakistan has established a President’s Relief Fund in which funds can be deposited which will be ultimately be utilized for the noble cause. In this regard, a website has also been hosted whose address is:
http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/HowYouCanHelp.aspx
Relevant extracts from the website are:
"Citizens, Community Based organizations and NGOs wishing to contribute towards ''President''s Relief Fund for Earthquake Victims'' are requested to send / deposit their donations in the above fund opened with the following:
- All branches of The State Bank of Pakistan
- All Treasuries
- All branches of National Bank of Pakistan
- All branches of Habib Bank of Pakistan
- All branches of United Bank of Pakistan
- All branches of Muslim Commercial Bank of Pakistan
- All Branches of Allied Bank of Pakistan
Donations, both from domestic and international donors can be deposited in the above branches of the banks. Donations from abroad can be deposited at all the branches of above banks in foreign countries where such branches exist. In other foreign countries where these branches do not exist donations will be received by the Pakistan Missions and remitted to the State Bank of Pakistan".
I would like to appeal to all ESATO FORUM members to come forward and contribute something in this fund so that timely measures can be taken and lives of thousands more can be saved which are still vulnerable due to extreme cold weather, inappropriate clothing of the affected people and the fact that they don’t have any thing to take shelter under as their houses are all razed to earth.
Please come forward and DO CONTRIBUTE something even if you can contribute a SINGLE DOLLAR, it will really help those poor people as they are in desperate need of relief goods to servive the harsh Himalayan winter. Also if any volunteers wants to come to Pakistan to actually work for them, they are MOST WELCOME here. Already there is heavy presence of foreign teams in Pakistan, but the scale of disaster is so huge that its never enough to those people.
If you want to contribute some relief goods then contact local office of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) as it is tranporting relief goods from around the globe FREE OF COST!
"You can send the following types of relief goods:
- Food:
- Mineral Water
- Tin Food
- Dry Food (biscuits etc)
- Milk (small packets)
- Medicines:
- Antibiotics
- Anti-Typhoid Medicines
- Fracture Treatment Kits
- Surgical Equipment
- Needles
- Cotton
- Catgut
- Needle Holder
- Forceps
- Bandages
- Crepe Bandages
- Gauze Pieces
- Surgical Gloves
- Surgical Blades
- Disposable Gloves
- Disposable Masks
- Disposable Caps
- Disposable Syringes
- Iodine
- Pyodine
- Endotracial Tubes
- Tents (Water Proof)
- Blankets
- Warm Clothing (Mufflers, Caps, Socks, Sweaters etc)
- Shawls
- Stoves
- Generators with fuel
- Emergency lights (with batteries)
- Candles (with match boxes)"
UN has flashed appeal for US$ 331 million for the disaster area. Under-secretary of UN has visited the affected area and enhanced the amount required from US$271million to US$ 331 Million. WHO has warned that if relief is not delivered to those affected then there can be a major catastrophe in the area.
My appeal is act as fast as you can as time of the essence as people are already dying from hypothermia and lack of food. Your contribution can save lives of thousands of poor and needy people. They are all looking upto YOU to rescue them from their misery.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
[ This Message was edited by: SE7 on 2005-10-16 14:53 ] | |
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imran_soorya
Joined: Dec 06, 2003
Posts: 155
From: Mumbai, India
PM, WWW
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I am shocked there are very few views and no reply to this post.. Where are esato's generous members.. Come on everyone.. Lets come together for this noble cause... Lets make our best effort.. Lets pray to God for the victims and may we all never face such natural calamity ..
_________________
www.sooryagroup.com
[ This Message was edited by: Imran_soorya on 2005-10-19 22:49 ] |
maruf
Joined: Mar 06, 2004
Posts: 40
PM |
Thanks for the thread in order to raise awarness. As the relief effort gains momentum so is the donations/contributions and collections across Great Britain. This is what makes the british people great- Generousty ! And l have wittnessed and taken part in this.
This message was posted from a P910 |
SE7
Joined: May 23, 2005
Posts: 63
PM |
Dear fellow members,
Thanks for your responses! The magnitude of the disaster is such that it affects the heart of everyone who hears about it.
Some updates now, todate as per the geological survey of Pakistan, 740 after-shocks have been received in and around the affected areas including the capital Islamabad. Only yesterday 4 of them rocked the area, they were in the range of 5.2 - 5.8 on the Richter Scale. What these after-shocks have done is making the relief effort more difficult, as the whole area is mountainous, after-shocks have trigerred more land slides and where road links were opened are now closed. Pakistan Army's engineers are working round the clock to clear the roads of boulders and rocks that have fallen over the road. In some areas whole road has been swaped by the land slide.
WFP is saying that it is facing the toughest task ever in its history. UNHCR is saying it is the biggest humanitarian crisis arising therefrom. UN has said that its worst then Tsunami. Now death toll is officially about 62,000 in just one area alone (total is still unknown and increasing) with 92,000 injured. UN has warned that if necessary steps are not taken then thousands more can die from hunger, disease and cold. There are many more areas which are still totally cutoff from the rest of the country and the world. The chief relief commissioner is saying that in some areas, it might take 2 weeks to open the road links. This is the harsh reality on ground here.
Continous tremors are really messing the things up. Also there is severe shortage of helicopters, more are though coming from USA and other countries.
UK was the first country from which the aid personnel arrived (RAPID-UK), they were there within hours of the disaster and straight away they were at the site, taking control. Same is the story for other teams that are coming into Pakistan eversince. I would like to thank the international community for their timely response and for caring about our people.
Now to update on what Pakistani people are doing, in my whole life time i have never ever seen people doing so much for the noble cause. Everyone is contributing beyond their means, including the children. Institutions, companies, NGOs etc are contributing billion of Rupees for this fund. Daily hundreds of trucks load of relief goods are sent to the areas which are accessible (which is very small out of the total affected area) but even then its not enough for them. around 60 helicopters are operating in the area, making more than 100 sorties daily. Everyone on the gound are pushing themselves to limits by working round the clock to save the lives of thousands more who are so vulnerable right now.
Right now the thing which is in urgent demand is WATER_PROOF TENTS
I would again like you people to contribute through cash or kind whichever suits you.
Once again thanks for your interest.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
[ This Message was edited by: SE7 on 2005-10-21 10:44 ] | |
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Posted: 2005-10-16 14:54
