Turkey, NATO join in (About Pakistan Earthquake)October 24 2005 at 1:18 AM
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By The Editorial - The Nation (Login perspektif)
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Turkey, NATO join in
WITH winter in all its severity having already set in over the areas struck by the October 8 earthquake, and with tens of thousands of people, including the seriously wounded, yet out of reach due to difficult terrain, Pakistan would welcome any aid, big or small, that could help relieve the misery of the people. According to the latest figure given by the President a total of $620 million of foreign aid has been committed by a number of friendly countries and donor agencies. Turkey has promised $150 million, out of which $100 million would be in cash. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who came to Pakistan to see the damage for himself and express his country’s concern over the tragedy, flew over a large area and visited Bagh along with Mr Aziz. Giving his impressions, he said that it was a big catastrophe for which the world that spent $1 trillion on weapons alone last year should come forward to extend help in a big way. Mr Aziz said that Pakistan would seek Turkey’s help in conducting a geological survey because it had experienced several massive earthquakes.
NATO’s offer to send up to 1000 men, including engineers and doctors, and a small number of helicopters to supplement Pakistan’s and other humanitarian organisation’s efforts in this regard would prove useful, though it is unfortunate that it turned down the UN plea for organising a massive airlift of stranded survivors on the lines of the 1948-9 Berlin Airlift undertaken to counter the Soviet blockade of the city. As the calamity in the country’s mountainous regions has gradually unfolded itself, it has become evident that the operation to provide relief and undertake rehabilitation and reconstruction work would call for a similar, untiring effort to be successful. One also very much wished that NATO had spared a larger fleet of helicopters to ferry supplies to regions inaccessible by road and bring back the victims to places where they could get medical or other kind of assistance as required. News reports indicate that the alliance would despatch just four large German CH-53 helicopters out of its huge inventory.
Outlining the immensity of the task and the resources required to do it, the President told the BBC that just the construction of houses would entail an expenditure of $5 billion. Besides, the country would have to build an extensive infrastructure that has been ruined by the earthquake, like schools and colleges and hospitals. What is needed on emergency basis is a huge supply of tents to provide some sort of protection from cold. However, something that is on every Pakistani’s mind is how the aid pouring in from all quarters, no doubt inadequate to meet the entire need, is going to be spent. Would the process be as transparent as they are being told? Or would a big slice go unaccounted for, lining the pockets of those could manage to lay their hands on it? | | | http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/oct-2005/24/editorials2.php
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