With winter fast approaching, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday appealed to the international community to provide urgent relief aid in the affected areas of the province which
With winter fast approaching, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday appealed to the international community to provide urgent relief aid in the affected areas of the province which has been worst hit by the powerful earthquake that ripped across Pakistan this week.
The stranded and homeless families in Dir Upper, Chitral and other hilly areas of the worst-hit Malakand Division badly need shelter, warm clothes, food items and medical facilities as winter sets in, senior provincial minister Inayatullah Khan said. “The provincial government would welcome immediate assi-stance of world community and international relief agencies,” he said.
He, however, said that such an international help must be on crash basis and in practical shape rather than mere offers, commitments and assurances.
Monday’s powerful earthquake killed 272 people in Pakistan with more than 1,900 people injured and nearly 14,000 homes damaged.
The deceased include 225 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 30 in northwestern tribal regions and 10 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The minister said that though some internatio-nal bodies have contacted the their government but the victims are in dire need of a prompt help and relief. He said that the dropping level of mercury and increasing snowfalls would aggravate the situation.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has vowed swift compensation to survivors of a powerful earthquake so that they can rebuild before the harsh winter sets in, an official said on Friday. Money will be distributed from Monday, chief of the National Disaster Management Authority Asghar Nawaz said.
