Last Chance to Avert Second Wave of Deaths in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (November 18, 2005) - On the eve of the International Donors Conference in Islamabad, six of the largest international humanitarian aid organizations responding to the October earthquake in Pakistan have joined together to issue an emergency appeal for increased funding for life-saving efforts in Kashmir and the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP). CARE International, the International Rescue Committee, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), World Vision, Save the Children and Mercy Corps urged members of the conference to not overlook the emergency needs of this disaster despite the long-term strategic focus of the conference. The onset of winter, they warned, is likely to result in a second wave of deaths. "Without immediate attention and increased funding, people who survived the earthquake might lose the fight against the brutal winter," said Denis Caillaux, CARE International’s secretary general. "Snow in some mountain villages can be as much as 10 feet deep. Without adequate shelter, there is no chance for survival." MERCY Corps' emergency spokesperson Cassandra Nelson added, "We have the chance to save thousands of lives, but the world community must act now. We have the capacity to respond, but we are under-funded and under-equipped."
The first snows have already hit Kashmir and the NWFP. The window for responding to the crisis is closing rapidly, but major gaps in funding may leave thousands of families without adequate shelter and resources to survive. The humanitarian aid community applauds the efforts of the government of Pakistan and the donor community in developing a long-term recovery strategy for the region, but urges greater assistance. "Tremendous progress has been made in the disaster response, but more — much more — is needed," says Sigurd Hanson, World Vision Country Director for Pakistan. "We support the process for the donors' conference, but implore the attendees to also focus on immediate, life-saving needs. The emergency phase is not over."
Shelter remains the most pressing need. An all-out aid effort by the humanitarian community and the Pakistan government continues to focus on providing materials and technical support to build "warm rooms," self-help shelter repair kits, winterized tents and supplies for the winterization of existing tents. "More funding is needed immediately to provide basic shelter for tens of thousands of people facing the prospect of a harsh winter without adequate shelter," says Jack Norman, CRS Country Representative for Pakistan. "If the response from the international community is too little or too late, we'll be witnessing a second tragedy." Medical concerns are also mounting, particularly around the rising number of acute respiratory infection cases caused by exposure. The need to improve water and sanitation is growing by the day, with reports of thousands of cases of watery diarrhea, gastritis, scabies and communicable diseases. Infants and children face the gravest risk. With more than 2.2 million children affected by the quake, child protection issues are critical. Since the earthquake six weeks ago, most children in the affected regions are without access to support systems — their schools, collapsed, are far from reopening. Their families, overwhelmed with survival issues, have few means to respond to their trauma. Still, hundreds of thousands of children are homeless. "Without help, these children — who were vulnerable before the earthquake — face catastrophe," says Bruce Rassmusen of Save the Children. "In addition to addressing critical shelter and health concerns, support needs to be provided for vulnerable children who have been separated from their families. More schools and child-friendly spaces need to be opened to ensure children have safe spaces to play, to learn and to regain a sense of normalcy and begin the process of recovery." Together, these six international agencies have more than 585 staff members working directly on the emergency response and more than 134 years of collective experience working in Pakistan with long-term roots in the country and strong partnerships with local NGOs and institutions. This on-the-ground infrastructure is fully supported by the government of Pakistan including crucial support from the Pakistani military, as well as the United Nations and international agencies. Together it forms an efficient base for carrying out emergency relief operations. "The recovery of areas affected by the earthquake depends heavily on a commitment from the international community to provide urgently needed funding to support life saving activities in the short term, and support to the rehabilitation process in the long term," says Alan Manski, Emergency Response Coordinator of IRC. "A second disaster is now set to unfold. How many die this time is up to us."
Six of the Largest International Aid Organizations Call for Help
Media Contacts:
Atlanta: Lurma Rackley, CARE, lrackley@care.org, 404-979-9450
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