Death Toll in Asian Quake Surpasses 87,000 (freezing temperatures coming)

[Angry Girl]

One month after South Asia's Oct. 8 earthquake, the estimated death toll shot up sharply to 87,350 on Tuesday following a new count of Pakistan's casualties, an official said.

The United Nations again appealed for more money to help victims, urging donors to be as generous as with other recent disasters. The world body said it urgently needs $42 million to maintain the aid effort through November.
<snip>
Aid officials fear that winter could bring a new wave of deaths among survivors, from hypothermia and respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia.

"We are very anxious about when the snow falls," said quake survivor Hafiz Mohammed Aslam, a preacher in the village of Kotramaskhan in Pakistan's portion of Kashmir. "It will become a terrible situation, especially for the children."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5400735,00.html


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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5251724&mesg_id=5251724

[Angry Girl]

1. U.N.: Quake survivors will freeze (unusually harsh winter coming)

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- One month after a massive quake rocked South Asia, the top U.N. humanitarian official called it a "race against time" to help more than 200,000 people in the higher mountainous regions of Pakistan.

Predictions for an "unusually harsh winter" meant the roughly 200,000 people above the snow line in Kashmir and the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan were in urgent need of help, Jan Egeland, U.N. Emergency Relief coordinator, said on Monday.

"We have to face what is happening now in Kashmir," he said. "What is particularly difficult in Kashmir is, of course, that people freeze to death if they don't get assistance in weeks."

The U.N. official said it was even more urgent to help survivors hit by the October 8 quake than survivors of hurricanes or tsunamis or even Africa, because of the freezing temperatures.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/11/07/so.asia.quake/

PLEASE check out this DONATION THREAD! It's a matter of life or death.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5251724&mesg_id=5251724

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

5. kicked and nominated. nt.

[barb162]

9. kick

[bananas]

2. This is unimaginable

[bananas]

3. kick

[SpiralHawk]

4. K & R & D

The winter winds blow bitter and cold.

[roguevalley]

6. this is horrifying. THe old and children will go first. Pneumonia.

what in the world is the matter with the world?

[barb162]

8. There's a name for it and it escapes me now,

Some sort of burnout where people gave for the tsunami, Katrina, some of the other hurricanes and some other disasters. It's called charity burnout or something.

[uppityperson]

10. Disaster burnout.

It happens to us all sometimes and this is how I have coped with it. When that happens, make sure you have your disaster kit together. Spend time taking care of yourself, getting ready for yourself. Then help the community plan. Then get back into the bigger world.

[babylonsister]

7. My sister and myself were going to donate to heifers.org, instead of

exchanging gifts because WE NEED NOTHING. I had already sent her a thought about closer to home, i.e., Habitat for Humanity, but there are so many! Please consider X-mas in the real spirit it was meant to be!

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. kicked, bookmarked and recommended. Horrible. n/t

[Carolab]

12. Can't * and Rice help their "good friends" in Pakistan?

I mean, Musharraff is such a close ally in the "war on terra".

[barb162]

13. Between Katrina, the last hurricane in Florida and the hurricanes

in Florida of 2004, I don't know. There are still people here from the 2004 hurricanes who aren't anywhere back on their feet yet, no jobs, living in trailers, etc. Between Iraq spending and all these disasters, the deficit... I don't know if the country has the money or the manpower. I think we are still helping there but not enough for what they need.

[Bru]

14. There definitely has been disaster fatigue

One thing to do is write a letter to the editor of the local paper reminding people to make private contributions, because it's doubtful governments will come through with enough aid.

[bananas]

15. kick

[Angry Girl]

16. kick - time is running out