Despite best efforts, aid reaching only half of Balochistan's quake affectees

ISPR says 62,000 people have been provided tents and rations.

RAWALPINDI: Over a fortnight after the massive earthquake and significant aftershocks in Balochistan, the relief machinery has so far managed to reach only half of all quake affectees.

With the official death toll from the quakes topping 500 earlier in the week, army figures of their relief efforts released on Wednesday showed that they had managed to reach 62,429 of earthquake affected families to provide aid, relief goods, medical attention and tents.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in an initial assessment on September 30 had said that as many as 125,000 people had been affected by the earthquake, located mostly in an area which the NDMA maps as inaccessible by road. The earthquake had flattened over 90 per cent of Awaran, a district with an estimated population of 300,000. Mashkai in Awaran, a town of 25,000, was closest to the epicentre of the earthquake measured at 7.7 on the Richter, and had been completely flattened.

Army has poured 2,400 troops, including personnel from its medical corps, into the affected areas. It has spearheaded relief efforts for inaccessible areas using helicopters and air crafts. It claimed that the pace of relief efforts is improving with every passing day.

The Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Asim Bajwa said that they were conducting relief operations in earthquake affected areas despite attempts to disrupt relief work and supply of goods by terrorists in affected zones.

Given the pockets of opposition, the army’s spokesperson appreciated cooperation of locals and claimed that the locals have extended all possible help to security forces for smooth conduct of the massive relief operation.

As part of the relief efforts, Maj Gen Bajwa said that four forward bases had been set up to provide aid items to affected people through helicopters and air drops. The helicopter fleet servicing the affected zones has also been boosted by the military (15) and civil administration to 16 in the area from the two that were involved in the days immediately after the earthquake.

Meanwhile, Karachi has become the main supply hub of relief activities which is directing relief goods via road and air to the forward bases.

Till date, the army says it has distributed 36,843 tents and 3,308 tons of rations among 62,429 earthquake affected families.

The NDMA said that as many as 43,660 tents and 18,485 blankets have reached Awaran in addition to over 75,000 food packs and 50 tonnes of high energy biscuits.

The DG ISPR also hinted at a threat from epidemics in the affected areas and said that they have taken precautionary measures to avoid any epidemic transmissions. He added that a field medical hospital, five mobile medical camps have also been established in Buzdar, Lubach, Mangoli, Parwar and Kokjo.