Quake pledges 'inadequate'

2005-10-27 22:21

Islamabad - International aid pledges for quake-hit Pakistan are inadequate and may not save a single one of the survivors facing a cold and hungry winter, British charity Oxfam said on Thursday.

World donors at an emergency United Nations conference on Wednesday promised an additional $580m amid a race to deliver help to tens of thousands of injured or homeless survivors before bad weather closes in.

"Oxfam welcomes the funds announced at (Wednesday's) donor conference in Geneva, but it already looks like the money pledged will fall far short of what is needed," the aid agency said.

"It appears that almost half of the money pledged is for longer-term reconstruction work which, although vital, won't save a single one of the thousands of lives currently hanging in the balance," it added.

"Of the remaining half of the pledges it is unclear how much of the money will be given to the UN appeal, how much of the money is really new and when the money will arrive."

The UN itself said it was unclear how much of the new pledges would go towards the world body's emergency appeal, which was increased from $312m to $550m before the meeting on Wednesday.

Some of the new pledges may be earmarked by governments for longer-term reconstruction, or other assistance, officials said.

"We need clarity on all of these issues, but at first sight we are worried that this could be yet another case of too little, too late.

This donor conference must be the start of a raft of new pledges rather than the end," Oxfam said.

The charity also called on the world community to learn lessons from the relief process and to set up and contribute to a new central emergency fund.

The 7.6-magnitude earthquake devastated Pakistani Kashmir and parts of North West Frontier Province, killing 54 000 people and leaving about 77 000 injured.

More than 1 300 also died in Indian Kashmir.

- AFP