Balochistan earthquake: Foreign aid relief workers barred
Khan pointed out that France-based NGO Doctors Without Borders had also been refused permission from the government.
Pakistan has barred UN agencies from carrying out relief activities in Awaran. PHOTO: AFP
AWARAN:
Pakistan has barred UN agencies from carrying out relief activities in Awaran. The authorities did not permit UN relief workers, who arrived in Karachi from Quetta on Tuesday, from undertaking a road trip to the district.
A World Health Organisation (WHO) coordinator Dr Fawad Khan told BBC Urdu that apart from WHO, aid workers from Unicef, World Food Programme and other international agencies had reached Karachi from Quetta and were supposed to reach Awaran by road on Monday. However, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) refused to grant them permission, because of which the mission had to be delayed.
On the other hand, Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, while talking to BBC Urdu has said that his government had urged the Centre to permit volunteers from international organisations to work for rehabilitation of earthquake survivors.
Khan pointed out that France-based NGO Doctors Without Borders had also been refused permission from the government for visiting earthquake affected areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2013.
Pakistan has barred UN agencies from carrying out relief activities in Awaran. The authorities did not permit UN relief workers, who arrived in Karachi from Quetta on Tuesday, from undertaking a road trip to the district.
A World Health Organisation (WHO) coordinator Dr Fawad Khan told BBC Urdu that apart from WHO, aid workers from Unicef, World Food Programme and other international agencies had reached Karachi from Quetta and were supposed to reach Awaran by road on Monday. However, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) refused to grant them permission, because of which the mission had to be delayed.
On the other hand, Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, while talking to BBC Urdu has said that his government had urged the Centre to permit volunteers from international organisations to work for rehabilitation of earthquake survivors.
Khan pointed out that France-based NGO Doctors Without Borders had also been refused permission from the government for visiting earthquake affected areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2013.