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Red Cross Races to Deliver Aid in Pakistan as Winter Approaches
Millions of earthquake survivors still homeless
Written by
Amanda Mark
, staff, RedCross.org
Friday, November 04, 2005 — Nearly one month after the Oct. 8 earthquake left almost 3 million homeless near the Kashmir region on the border of Pakistan and India, Red Cross relief workers race against the weather and terrain to reach the injured, ill and those who are most vulnerable in the remote mountainous communities of this southern Asia region.
The American Red Cross is partnering with its sister societies and the international Red Cross movement to provide desperately needed aid in the region. Currently more than 340 truckloads of relief items provided by Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world have reached the affected areas and about 9,000 tents and more than 50,000 blankets have been distributed. Additionally, the Red Cross has deployed 40 aid flights carrying 1,600 tons of relief supplies – much terrain near the Himalayan foothills, with altitudes of 15,000 feet, can only be reached by air transport or mules.
Because the Kashmir region is a contested area, the International Committee of the Red Cross also is assisting in aid delivery and communication throughout this politically hot zone.
(Photo Credit: Till Mayer/International Federation)
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Due to the millions of people without shelter, authorities are most concerned about the weather; Pakistani winters often chill to below zero. The American Red Cross already has purchased 1,000 winterized tents to shield the homeless against this bitter chill and hopes to purchase more as soon as possible. Helicopters and land vehicles continue to deliver aid to remote areas of the Kashmir region, although access to hard-to-reach locations is intermittently halted by isolated rain, sleet and snow.
“Our efforts are hampered by poor weather, landslides blocking roads, as well as the terrain which is mountainous and difficult to access,” said Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “We continue to direct aid where it is needed most using helicopters, trucks and mules as well as by foot.”
Two Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are already on the ground in the Kagan Valley, in the remote villages of Kahari and Sholgran which still remain cut off due to landslides. House-to-house assessments have identified the urgent need for tarpaulins, blankets and tool kits as well as community tents, which were distributed by helicopter to some 300 families on Nov. 1.
John Manley, a longtime American Red Cross international relief worker, is currently in Islamabad, Pakistan, overseeing administrative and security issues for the relief operation as a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Federation Assessment Coordination Team (FACT).
Manley emphasized that the members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are working around the clock – a collaboration of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies from around the world. As he logs 18 hour days, Manley noted a positive trend that the relief workers he trained while working for the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland, in the mid-90s are now experienced workers aiding the operation in Pakistan.
The American Red Cross remains on standby to deploy additional trained relief workers and supplies to the Pakistan region. To date, the American Red Cross has contributed tents, hygiene kits, kitchen sets, tarps, water containers and blankets to the relief effort.
Communication Challenges
Recognizing the overwhelming need for survivor families to communicate with loved ones outside the affected zone, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Indian Red Cross and the Pakistan Red Crescent Society are providing several methods for families to communicate including satellite phones, a Web site where survivors can register – relief workers often register survivors on their behalf and “safe and well” family news messages that relief workers relay.
A Note Regarding In-Kind Donations
Please remember that the American Red Cross is not able to accept small, individual donations or collections of items for emergency relief supplies. The decision to transport bulk donations from the U.S. is based solely on the needs identified by the relief operation and the availability of local resources. If you represent a company wishing to offer supplies in bulk, please contact your local Red Cross chapter.
A Note Regarding International Disaster Welfare Inquiries
Concerned family members living in the United States can access the ICRC Family Links Web site list to search or register their missing loved one’s name. Inquiries regarding U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad should be referred to the U.S. State Department’s Office of Overseas Citizens Services.
You can help those affected by countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. Please call 1-800-RED CROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the International Response Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation.
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