Pakistan Earthquake: UN Warns of "Second Wave of Death" Without Aid

[pattylou]

This can use some more visibility. Our press seems more interested in Wilma, which is weakening, than in the earthquake, whose death toll continues to mount.:grumpy: The toll has jumped from 54,000 to 79,000 this week aone, and may double if we don't get more aid to the region.

MUZAFFARABAD: The United Nations has appealed to the international community to step up aid to Pakistan if it wants to prevent a “second, massive wave of death”, while international aid officials described the relief operation as one of the toughest the world has ever known.

“We have never had this kind of logistical nightmare ever. We thought the tsunami was the worst we could get. This is worse,” Jan Egeland, the United Nations emergency relief coordinator, said in Geneva.

Nearly two weeks after the earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people, the United Nations estimated half a million people were still cut off.

<snip>

In New York, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Wednesday called for an “immediate and exceptional escalation of the global relief effort”.

“That means a second, massive wave of death will happen if we do not step up our efforts now,” Annan said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005%5C10%5C21%5Cstory_21-10-2005_pg1_2

You can donate to Red Cross; although we've been using Oxfam this year:

http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

Feel free to move this thread if it belongs in GD. I figured it fits under "world affairs."

 

[pattylou]

More snippets from another story - this isn't getting better; it's getting worse.

"This is a huge, huge disaster ... perhaps the biggest ever that we have seen. It is a race against time to save the lives of these people," Mr Annan said in New York.

"The world is not doing enough," said the UN emergency coordinator, Jan Egeland. "We thought the tsunami was bad, this is worse."

At least 79,000 people have died, but the toll could climb much further.

Unicef has warned that up to 10,000 children could die from hunger, hypothermia or illness in the coming weeks.

Yet the outside response has been hesitant.UN has received just a fraction of the $312m pledged to its emergency appeal, in contrast with 80% of pledges at the same stage after the south Asian tsunami.

The first snows have fallen on higher peaks and some villages already face subzero temperatures at night.

The logistical challenge is daunting. Tents, kerosene stoves and blankets are in chronic short supply. Relief workers have delivered about 65,000 tents but need about 200,000 more. Factories are working around the clock.

When medical help gets through, many victims are having limbs amputated due to gangrene and other infections.

… the World Health Organisation has reported three deaths from tetanus.

In Balakot quake survivors have started to burn donated clothing for heating as temperatures drop.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,7369,1597433,00.html

Oxfam makes it easy to donate specifically to this disaster. Click on the link above.

 

[Pengwuino]

Man this year has been relentless. I wonder how many red cross volunteers are still working the tsunami relief effort...

 

[Anttech]

Yep.. Just so this thread will stay in Political forum, I wanted to add that the Earthquake is Bush's fault...

Ok I said it:

Now Donate! These people need our help!

 

[Astronuc]

They just had another strong aftershock in the same area.

http://www.everything-science.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=82&topic=5244.msg58005#msg58005

Pakistan/Kashmir may now have more that 80,000 dead, and more than 3 million without homes!

India, Pakistan Propose Opening Borders for Earthquake Relief

Oct. 23 (Bloomberg) -- India and Pakistan have proposed opening crossing points on the Kashmir border that divides them to facilitate relief to survivors of an Oct. 8 earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people in the two nations.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=avRUZVIiQQVM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/south_asia/2005/south_asia_quake/default.stm

 

[SOS2008]

This can use some more visibility. Our press seems more interested in Wilma, which is weakening, than in the earthquake, whose death toll continues to mount.:grumpy: The toll has jumped from 54,000 to 79,000 this week aone, and may double if we don't get more aid to the region.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005%5C10%5C21%5Cstory_21-10-2005_pg1_2

My same thoughts when watching the death toll rise higher and higher--the loss of life is no comparison even to Katrina. Here is what a little aid has already done:

Quake aid helps U.S. alter image in Pakistan
Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had built anger
By John Lancaster
The Washington Post - Oct. 22, 2005

Showing America’s ‘other side’

President Bush's Oct. 14 visit to the Pakistani Embassy in Washington to offer condolences for earthquake victims received wide coverage in the country's media, as did pleas by some in Congress for an increase in the $50 million in earthquake relief that the Bush administration has already pledged.

Even the conservative clergy, who have long been in the vanguard of anti-U.S. feeling in Pakistan, have grudgingly praised the U.S. response.

..."Obviously, this is the other side of the United States," said Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Shujabadi, a prominent religious scholar in the port city of Karachi. "For the first time in so many years I have seen the American planes dropping relief and not bombs on the Muslim population."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9779472/

How much do we spend each day trying to democratize and nation-build in Iraq alone? We could generate so much more goodwill, but where will the resources come from when we are over extended in military conflict and increasingly in debt to other nations such as China? A measly $50 million has gone much farther in this way.

 

[Gokul43201]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4366528.stm

India has offered to open three relief centres for victims of the South Asia earthquake along the Line of Control (LoC) in divided Kashmir.

Survivors from both sides of the border could meet family members there and receive medical assistance, India's external affairs ministry announced. A spokesman said the ministry was awaiting Pakistan's response.

 

[oldunion]

Does anyone else find it strange there has been the asian earthquak (tsunami), pakistan earthquake, katrina, wilma, alpha, and the other one that hit texas. weather control anyone?

 

[Pengwuino]

Yes, I'm sure governments are just foaming at the mouth to kill millions of people in all parts of the world for no reason.

 

[pattylou]

Does anyone else find it strange there has been the asian earthquak (tsunami), pakistan earthquake, katrina, wilma, alpha, and the other one that hit texas. weather control anyone?

I don't find it strange.

Every year people say "things have never been this bad." Even if this year is "worse," so what? It's nature. We're subject to it. We're going to have some hellish natural disasters from time to time, and sometimes they will crop up together. That's random chance for you.

But, we could try to respond appropriately - which means getting aid to Asia at the moment. Thanks to all who contributed on this thread. :)

 

[Art]

I don't find it strange.
Every year people say "things have never been this bad." Even if this year is "worse," so what? It's nature. We're subject to it. We're going to have some hellish natural disasters from time to time, and sometimes they will crop up together. That's random chance for you.

A couple of reasons I saw cited for the increased death tolls from natural disasters were, first better communication these days; meaning in the past natural disasters in remote areas simply went unreported and secondly the increase in population has resulted in people living in areas previous generations would have avoided as they are known to be prone to catastrophic conditions from time to time.

 

[cefarix]

My father, being a doctor, went to and came back from Muzaffarabad and other areas to the north. He was telling me the situation is just utterly beyond belief there. :sad:

 

[pattylou]

Cefarix, I'm sorry to hear about the situation. This is awful.

I've been organising a fundraiser at the kids' school. Our girl scouts ("girl guides" in other countries) will be collecting monetary donations next week, to donate to Oxfam for the victims of this earthquake. I don't know that we'll collect much, but I hope we do.

More generally:

Despite the magnitude of the earthquake and the massive displacement that it produced, the Kashmir crisis has not galvanized the world’s citizenry as the tsunami did. Individual and corporate donations to non-governmental organizations to date are at the level of a minor natural disaster rather than one that affected three million people. Reasons for the tepid response include the remoteness of the affected area; the fact that the earthquake’s victims included few, if any, individuals from industrialized countries, in contrast to the tsunami, which was a global phenomenon affecting wealthy tourists as well as poor fishermen; and, especially in the United States, a sense that this was one disaster too many, coming on the heels of the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. In this context, the earthquake response has not and will not become a public event with which everyone from stretched relief officials to corporate leaders to school children feels compelled to engage.

Government action is therefore the only way forward.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/219053/113026770775.htm

The other moms I have spoken too, however, are all glad that there will be a fundraiser, and plan to donate. Some school children will be happy to donate - the problem as I see it, is lack of coverage - perhaps due to all the scandal currently plaguing domestic events.

 

[champ2823]

It is known to anyone that has ever researched weather modification that our government has been conducting research and experimentation to use in warfare against others without them knowing it. Many public documents talk about this and I don't remember exactly which documents, but Air Force 2025 has some sections about it. The last known time I know of was when they would seed clouds in Vietnam to make roads impassible. Currently, I have seen no credible documents proving or even alluding to any of these catastrophes being anything other than "natural disasters", therefore I personally find it unfair to say that it wasn't "natural". Although the technology exists, I personally am not about to say that any government had any hand in what has been occurring. Only the presense of credible documents would be able to prove it, and since I have seen none, I classify them as "natural".

What does irk me about these disasters is why high ranking government officials feel the need to go to these areas for photo ops to gain political favor. Other than being a politician, what useful things can they do? Medics, engineers, food suppliers, etc... is what is in dire need. Government officials are none of these. All they do is get in the way, divert attention away from relief efforts, and take away time and resources from others that would be best suited to tackle the disaster at hand. The best thing a politician can do is stay away from the disaster area and do the best they can to get private companies and relief aid to the region and let them take full control as this is what they specialize in. To go to a region hit by a disaster for nothing more than a photo op is just ridiculous in my book.

 

[The Smoking Man]

What does irk me about these disasters is why high ranking government officials feel the need to go to these areas for photo ops to gain political favor. Other than being a politician, what useful things can they do? Medics, engineers, food suppliers, etc... is what is in dire need. Government officials are none of these. All they do is get in the way, divert attention away from relief efforts, and take away time and resources from others that would be best suited to tackle the disaster at hand. The best thing a politician can do is stay away from the disaster area and do the best they can to get private companies and relief aid to the region and let them take full control as this is what they specialize in. To go to a region hit by a disaster for nothing more than a photo op is just ridiculous in my book.

Often, it is written into law that to release emergency funds to these areas the highest ranking officals must make an assessment.

That's not saying it doesn't make a great photo-op but there are actually 'legal' reasons it must happen.

 

[pattylou]

Helicopters will be grounded soon (lack of funds), and many far flung villages have yet to receive any aid.

IIRC, a half billion dollars are being requested.

Please donate to Oxfam http://www.oxfamamerica.org/ if you haven't already.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/29/international/asia/29quake.html

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2005/October/subcontinent_October1195.xml&section=subcontinent&col=

 

[The Smoking Man]

I have a bit of a problem with this.

India offered to send help using helecopters.

Pakistan refused stating they would not allow Indian helecopters across the border using Indian Pilots.

I'm getting a bit tired of these penny ante nations pleading for help and then slapping conditions on what they receive or worse, as in the case of the Tsunami, actually taxing relief as it comes across the border.

Tons of supplies were held hostage in ports while the relief organizations went back to their own countries and tried to drum up cash contributions to the tune of $5 million to get the authorities to allow the aid into the country.

Then they say who can and can't help!?

Let them try to solve the problems themselves until they learn the old adage, 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'.

When these 'DICKtators' learn that people helping is the RIGHT kind of international co-operation and not meant to undermine their power, I will contribute again.

At the moment, they seem to think that seeing the Indians as human and wishing to aid them in their hour of need may take the 'fight' out of the people.

Governments are scum.

 

[The Smoking Man]

I heard about this on Fox two days ago. Is it true?

http://www.livejournal.com/users/mparent7777/3701465.html

250, 000 dead in quake and why Pakistan's govt refused the helicopters offered by India

...

our communist party has three serious considerations on the following matters:-

Firstly - The death causalities due to this natural disaster of earthquake till today is not less than 250000 and not 23000 as officially announced by the present regime of Pakistan. The death causality is being increased considerably day by day. What is the fun in concealing death causalities?

Secondly - The Indian Government immediately after the earthquake offers the services of helicopters, which our Govt refuses, inspite of this very fact that till today with the help of all international community, we are short of helicopters. On one hand, peaceful talk and negotiations are going between India and Pakistan and on the other hand, the offers of Indian helicopters were refused. It really makes no sense and our communist party don't see any wisdom in such like decisions. Such decisions by our Govt will hurdles the peace process talk between the two neighbouring countries.

Thirdly - Every Muslim of the world is aware that during pilgrimage (Haj), millions and millions of the tents are being used in Madani-Hurfaat in Saudi Arabia every year and we are surprised that our Govt has not taken the matters of tents seriously with the Saudi Govt yet, otherwise, we feel that had our Govt seriously requested the Saudi Govt, the millions and millions of the tents would have been available to our brothers and sisters, who are victims of 8th October quake and all of them need the tents as one of the biggest priority of today.

With regards,

Engineer Jameel Ahmad Malik,
Communist Party Secretariat,
House No. 1426,
Fateh Jang Chowk,
Attock Cantonment.
PAKISTAN.

Office: 0092-57-2611426
Fax: 0092-57-2612591
Mob: 0092-300-9543331

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 02:07:21 +0500

communistpartyofpakistan@hotmail.com

 

[Curious3141]

The attitude that Pakistan has taken greatly saddens me. I really thought India and Pakistan had been heading for a real breakthrough in cordial relations. This natural disaster, tragic as it is, actually presents a golden opportunity for people in both countries to come together in a crisis.

India has made overtures. Sadly, the Pak government sees fit to reject aid in Indian helicopters, which seems more than a tad ungrateful and petty.

Then there're the bomb blasts in the heart of India. So many people dead, just before a happy day (Diwali). I know the Pak government is not directly to blame, but some blame must decidedly go their way because they have been happily sponsoring and supporting these bloody terrorist groups that operate in Kashmir and the heart of India itself. Does it really surprise the Pak government that the beast they've nurtured for so long now refuses to listen when they plead for a cessation of terrorist violence ? And will Pak completely and categorically stop aiding these murderers after the immediate crisis is over ? I think not.

Pakistan has had a long history of sponsoring terrorism. State sponspored terrorism is de facto an act of war. I was really hoping that this natural disaster would pave the way for Pakistan and its terrorist hounds to change their ways, but no such luck.

 

[pattylou]

THe most recent reports that I have heard regarding the Kashmir border is that it is being opened.

I certainly don't think the India-Pakistan mess should affect whether I, as a non-Pakistani or non-Indian, sends aid.

The people in the villages need help. Bush is being a dick for not matching the funds he gave to the Tsunami victims. Maybe the heads of state in India and Pakistan are being dicks, too, but that doesn't have to stop any of us individual, caring human beings, from trying to help out.

http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

 

[The Smoking Man]

THe most recent reports that I have heard regarding the Kashmir border is that it is being opened.
I certainly don't think the India-Pakistan mess should affect whether I, as a non-Pakistani or non-Indian, sends aid.
The people in the villages need help. Bush is being a dick for not matching the funds he gave to the Tsunami victims. Maybe the heads of state in India and Pakistan are being dicks, too, but that doesn't have to stop any of us individual, caring human beings, from trying to help out.
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

Yeah, but will my funds be used to pay for aid or import tax on the aid?

If they can tax aid or refuse aid, they don't need aid.

Have them sell their nukes to the USA then.

 

[The Smoking Man]

The latest out of Pakistan ...

From http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051101/ap_on_re_as/south_asia_quake_pk1&printer=1"

U.S. Copter Carrying Quake Aid Draws Fire

By PAUL HAVEN, Associated Press WriterTue Nov 1, 4:34 PM ET

Assailants fired at a U.S. military helicopter Tuesday as it ferried supplies to earthquake victims in Pakistan's portion of divided Kashmir, the U.S. military said, but it vowed to continue aid flights.

The attack with an apparent rocket-propelled grenade came as the CH-47 Chinook flew over Chakothi, a quake-ravaged town near the frontier separating the Pakistani and Indian portions of the Himalayan region, said Capt. Rob Newell, a spokesman for the U.S. military relief effort.

"The aircraft was not hit and returned safely with its crew" to an air base near the capital, Islamabad, he told The Associated Press.

The Pakistani army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, expressed skepticism an attack took place, saying engineers were using explosives to clear a road near where U.S. helicopters were flying.

"The blast was huge enough to kick up dust which the pilot probably misunderstood as rocket fire," Sultan said, adding that Pakistani soldiers searched the area after the reported attack and witnesses on the ground did not see a rocket attack.

A U.S. military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject to Pakistan-American relations, said the military stood by its account. He said the crewman who reported the attack had just served in Afghanistan for months and can recognize a fired rocket-propelled grenade.

 

[The Smoking Man]

PS. I hope the US citizens here note that I DO actually applaud the military and it's use for peaceful means.

Give me a gun and even I'LL attack idiots who go to work on people rendering aid.

 

[Polly]

*yawns*
http://www.411toys.com/gun.html"
:tongue2: