EU offers emergency aid
2005-10-08 14:34
Brussels - The European Union offered emergency aid on Saturday to help victims of the earthquake which hit Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, saying it could release funds immediately if needed.
As casualty figures rose from the devastating quake the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said up to three million euros could be approved within a day if requested by agencies working on the ground.
"We are all hoping that the news does not get steadily worse as the day progresses but we are fearful that the casualty figures may mount and that international support may be needed," said EU aid commissioner Louis Michel.
A spokesperson said the commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) was in touch with two organisations - Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Netherlands and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - about the crisis.
"It depends on what these organisations tell us they need," said the spokesperson, Amadeu Altafaj, stressing that the two organisations were chosen because they are already on the ground.
"They can save more lives and faster. This is the priority of course," he said.
The EU offer came as the feared death toll rose rapidly from the quake, which struck early in the morning almost directly on the dividing line between the Indian and Pakistani controlled zones of Kashmir.
In Pakistan a military spokesperson said the quake, which measured at least 7.6 on the Richter scale, is feared to have killed more than 1 000 people, while in India an official said 157 people had died.
- AFP