Earthquake Worse Than Tsunami Says UN- Over 3 Million Homeless

[callady]

Earthquake worse than tsunami, says UN

· Emergency appeal gets fraction of $312m pledged
· Poor access and freezing conditions hamper relief

Declan Walsh in Islamabad
Friday October 21, 2005
The Guardian


The United Nations said yesterday the earthquake in Pakistan was a worse disaster than last year's tsunami, as its secretary general, Kofi Annan, warned of a second "massive wave of deaths" if international aid were not dramatically scaled up. "This is a huge, huge disaster ... perhaps the biggest ever that we have seen. It is a race against time to save the lives of these people," Mr Annan said in New York.

Hours later, his top relief official appealed for a "second Berlin airlift" to speed relief efforts and possibly evacuate thousands of quake victims before the bitter winter sets in.
"The world is not doing enough," said the UN emergency coordinator, Jan Egeland. "We thought the tsunami was bad, this is worse."

The aftermath of the massive earthquake of October 8 is rapidly developing into one of the world's toughest relief operations. At least 79,000 people have died, but the toll could climb much further.

Over 3 million people have been made homeless, many trapped in remote mountain villages without medical aid or proper shelter. An unknown number are succumbing to their injuries every day. Unicef has warned that up to 10,000 children could die from hunger, hypothermia or illness in the coming weeks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,7369,1597433,00.html

[malaise]

1. Damn

Meanwhile billions are wasted on an illegal war and the Pakistani leader does Bushco's bidding for him. He's toast too.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

2. I fear to think...

...of who or what would replace him if he became "toast."

[Just Me]

3. Where are the charitable contribution contacts for this devastation?

I'll contribute to UNICEF later today.

Those poor people,...those poor children! :cry:

[Karenina]

4. Where are the MRE's from the Brits?

Locked up un a warehouse in Arkansas? :shrug:

[jobycom]

5. Sadly, recommended and kicked. Everyone needs to know this.

Damn, what a year. What next?

[barbaraann]

6. It's a shame Pakistan spends so much on its military.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2067rank.html

Not much left for disaster relief and recovery, apparently.

[CentralEuropeanDude]

7. Pakistan Hikes Defense Spending by 15.5 Percent to $18.16 billion

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=896737&C=asiapac
...
Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub presented the 1.09 trillion rupee ($18.16 billion) budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1. It includes a 15.5 percent hike in money going toward defense.
...

Strange, your link says it's only $3.8 billion.

[barbaraann]

8. I think the 18.16 billion figure is for the entire budget.

Also, my link is for 2004.

Whatever it is, it's too much for defense and particularly a tragedy in a country with so much poverty.

Thanks for the additional info!

[CentralEuropeanDude]

9. hmm, I will do the math...

This article says http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051014/hl_afp/quakesasiapakistan_051014185025
...
Military spending in the nuclear-armed nation makes up about five percent of Gross Domestic Product, compared with 3.2 percent on health.
...

5% of GDP for military spending.

-and-

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/pk.html
says:
...
GDP is $347.3 billion
...

5% of $347.3 billion is $17.4 billion.
That's $17.4 billion for military spending!
And it's rather close to the $18.16 billions.

What do you think?

[barbaraann]

10. hmmm...looks like your math is good.

So Pakistan is in the Top Ten in military spending for the entire world and now they have millions of people homeless at the start of winter. What a terrible, terrible tragedy.

Also, the CIA is seriously off in their calculations.