ISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (APP): The United States Monday assured Pakistan to help it seek more international support in rehabilitating the people affected by the Oct 8 earthquake and reconstruction of the devastated areas. "[We] will be talking to United Nations and others to urge all of us to do more as this is a catastrophic event, as we witnessed today, a lot of people still need our help," US Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Hughes is leading a US delegation including three executives from the corporate sector, forming part of the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund (SAERF), set up by President George W Bush on Nov 9. The Fund has been created to provide critically needed funds and supplies for thousands of people recovering from the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that killed over 73,000 people and rendered over 3.5 million homeless. She said efforts were being made to raise awareness and funding diplomatically through the international sector and said Secretary Rice in her visit to Middle East this week would also urge other nations to step up support for those affected by the earthquake.
The delegation comprising Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca, Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Ward, Jim Kelly former Chairman and CEO United Parcel Service, Hank McKinnell Chairman and CEO Pfizer; Anne Mulcahy Chairman and CEO Xerox. She said the delegation visited Muzaffarabad and would tell the people back home about the extent of damages and the suffering of the people. "It is a catastrophe," she said and added "Americans are very generous people and once they know the need, they will step up to meet it."
She said the idea of sponsoring a school, a clinic or a library can get a good response from the people of United States. She said 90 more US doctors arrived here today while 90 more would be coming tomorrow, raising the total to 1100 to work with the Pakistan government help in this emergency. She said the situation was still an emergency as many people were still without shelter and it was getting colder with each passing day. The US government, she said, treats Pakistan as a friend and has provided relief funds worth US $156 million for providing transportation, food, medicine, shelter, money and disaster-relief management expertise. These, she pointed were increasing by the day.
The other executives in the Fund include Chairman Citigroup Sanford Weill and GE CEO Jeff Immelt. The three executives also endorsed their support to the efforts of the US and the Pakistani government in their relief measures. They said they were "very touched" by what they saw in the affected areas and described the situation as "horrible and heart breaking". Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was appreciative of the US government for extending its support to Pakistan in its need of hour and said it would help build relations between the two countries.
He said the initiative by President Bush would help the people of Pakistan stand back on their feet. Aziz said a number of agencies including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, USAID, the British DFID and the Japanese JICA were helping Pakistan in estimating the extent of damages and the cost of reconstruction. "The November 19 International Donors Conference is not a one-day affair, its a long haul," he added. Earlier the delegation met the Prime Minister at the PM House, who apprised them about the donors conference, where Pakistan would announce the sponsorship programme.
"The people can sponsor a school, a house or a village, and help in the rebuilding effort," the Prime Minister said. He said the reconstruction could take up to five years, but said the real challenge was to help the traumatised people lead normal lives. The meeting was also attended by leading members from the Pakistani corporate sector, who appreciated the US support and assured to extend full assistance to the government in its relief and reconstruction efforts.
The South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund is administered by the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), an international nonprofit forum of over 100 CEOs and Chairpersons dedicated to advocating and practicing corporate philanthropy. It would be led by an Advisory Committee consisting of the five corporate leaders. In addition, two representatives from the U.S. government and the Pakistani-American community respectively will also serve on the Fund's Advisory Committee.