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Haiti

Pakistan to send relief assistance to quake-hit Haiti

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan will send relief assistance to the earthquake-hit Haiti, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Reports say that the death toll from the last Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti may reach 200,000 and at least 70,000 people have already been buried.

Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has asked the authorities to immediately provide the relief assistance in the form of 3,000 tents/blankets and 8 tons of medicines to help the earthquake affected people of Haiti, said the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The aid will be sent in response to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's call to the international community to assist the earthquake victims of Haiti.

On Sunday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appealed to frustrated Haitians to be patient over efforts to bring them relief.

The United Nations has launched an appeal for 562 million U.S. dollars intended to help 3 million people for six months, most of whom are thought to need emergency relief.

The Pakistani prime minister directed that these relief items shall be handed to the Representative of UN Office at Islamabad for their onward dispatch to Haiti.

Editor: en_mxq