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Church World Service Urges International Helicopters to Pakistan; Children Suffer Severely Without Supplies

A boy carrying his little sister, Battagram, Pakistan Photo: CWS Pakistan/Afghanistan

October 21, 2005

NEW YORK / ISLAMABAD – Humanitarian agency Church World Service (CWS) is appealing to national governments to release tents from warehouses throughout South Asia. The Pakistan Humanitarian Forum, chaired by CWS, has also requested more helicopters, which have yet to be made available by many governments. International and local NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have the capacity to move quickly once logistics and security issues are removed.

UNICEF, as well, has called for immediate steps to push through more supplies, saying that children would be the first victims in a possible "second wave of deaths" as winter approaches. Up to 120,000 children remain in mountain areas devastated by the October 8 quake, "of whom the agency estimated some 10,000 could die of hunger, hypothermia and disease within the next few weeks," it said in a statement.

In the region of Shangla, valley populations remain without shelter. About 80% of the district's 520,000 people spend nights outside under plastic sheets, and cold weather and rains have further aggravated the situation. This exposure could lead to chest infections and pneumonia in children, especially. Measles is another threat to child survival when immune systems have been weakened by exposure and malnutrition.

The Pakistan army tore through landslides on Tuesday (Oct 18) to reopen an earthquake-ravaged road--the latest route to be restored to remote villages such as Sanghar, which had been cut off from supplies by land for 10 days. Hundreds of villagers had been making the treacherous journey on foot to Balakot in search of aid, including tents and blankets.

The prospect of tent cities has become attractive to officials at the federal and provincial levels, in order to centralize relief efforts.

CWS distributed shelter and food kits in and around Balakot yesterday (Oct 20), where some families are currently sheltering in tent villages.

Church World Service continues to lead the INGO (International NGO) Forum and is now providing CWS and other INGO information to the Humanitarian Information Centre, the Pakistan government, Map Action, and members of the media.

Aftershocks in different parts of country, including Islamabad and Lahore on early Wednesday (Oct 19) brought panicked people out of their homes. These aftershocks were stronger than any felt since the October 8 earthquake, lasting 15 to 20 seconds and measuring up to 5.8 on the Richter scale.

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, Church World Service (which has had relief and development operations in Pakistan for more than 50 years) quickly moved 6,000 shelter kits and family food packages--emergency supplies pre-positioned in the area--to quake survivors, and is now working to assist some 22,000 families as it is able to move additional supplies. Some 100,000 people are being served by field clinics CWS has set up in hard-hit Azad Kashmir and North West Frontier Province. CWS's focus is on the most vulnerable survivors, especially women and children who are without food, water, and shelter.

Each shelter kit is valued at $172; each family food package, at $72. Contributions to support these efforts may be sent to:

Church World Service
Southern Asia Earthquake--#6979
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515

Contributions may also be made online, or by calling 800.297.1516, ext. 222.

Sources: Web sites of Geo TV, AAJ TV, Dawn, and Daily Time. Field reports of CWS-P/A needs assessment team and PAK-Humanitarian Forum meeting minutes.

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

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