South Asian Quake Update

The body count keeps rising as the weather has cleared so that relief efforts can be stepped up. The US is providing 25-30 helicopters to assist in the relief and recovery efforts, which is a big deal in a region where the roads and infrastructure was badly damaged. Meanwhile, the Islamabad airport is jammed with planes carrying relief supplies that some incoming flights were delayed due to lack of space.

Confederate Yankee has very good updates. Also, be sure to check out South Asia Quake Help blog, which was set up by the folks who arranged the original South Asia Quake and Tsunami Page.

This is the UN response thus far:

The United Nations today launched a flash appeal for approximately $272 million to help Pakistan cope with the recent earthquake there.

In the meantime, UN agencies are already on the ground, working to meet the needs of survivors. The World Health Organization, for example, has sent medical materials to cover the needs of 210,000 people for one month, as well as equipment for 1,000 surgical operations. It is still concerned, however, that many hospitals have been demolished and that many health workers have died.

For its part, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees has begun distributing family and hospital tents, plastic sheeting, mattresses, kitchen sets and other items from its warehouse near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has sent convoys to northern Pakistan carrying blankets, children’s clothing, water containers and purification equipment, and soap, among other things.

And the World Food Programme reports that it is flying in an initial shipment of high-energy biscuits for 240,000 victims for five days.

Asked which UN body is coordinating the delivery of assistance to Pakistan, the Spokesman said it was the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which was working with UN agencies and with non-governmental organizations on the ground.

He said, in response to another question, that OCHA head Jan Egeland was likely to travel to Pakistan.

Secretary of State Condelezza Rice announced long term aid for Pakistan. No real details are provided about the kind of aid or whether any conditions will be attached to the aid.

Rice has been traveling through South and Central Asia and had successfully concluded negotiations with Kyrgyzstan over the continuing use of a military base for operations in Afghanistan. She also stopped in Afghanistan to discuss the continued presence there - as long as they are needed and in whatever numbers they are needed.

Technorati: earthquake, pakistan, india.