Harsh Winter Sets-in: Misery of Quake victims Swells in Pakistan
By KB Khan - PakistanTimes.net AJK Special Correspondent

MUZAFFARABAD (AJK): Earthquake-hit capital of Azad Kashmir and its adjacent mountainous range has started facing an awful spell of extremely harsh winter, posing perils to a lot of human lives with kids atop.

Likewise, a report from the nearby vicinity of Balakot says that amid frosty environs, at least ten people, who included men, women and children have died due to severe cold, at the weekend.

Meteorology department has warned of extreme cold in the region in next few days. Mercury has started going down at nights, surfacing extreme cold, which has added to the misery of people at mountains in the quake-hit region.

Isolated snowfalls have already been reported at higher altitudes and the seasonal weather outlook for the areas suggests heavier snow and colder temperatures than normal, in a few days.

Hardships

The injured could face more hardships in extreme cold, medical experts said. The camps need more blankets and warm clothes to provide much needed protection from cold and chill.

Initial overview of the regional and global parameters indicates that another biting winter is approaching the earthquake stricken areas.

Report on Damages

Meanwhile, Dr Ashfaque H. Khan, economic adviser to the Pakistan government and director-general of its debt office has said in an interview that the report on the economic loss caused by the earthquake in Kashmir and the northern areas of Pakistan will be ready by mid-November.

Stressing that the earthquake will not affect the GDP growth rate of Pakistan, he said that the teams of World Bank and Asian Development Bank, already in the country, have been joined by the autonomous government construction company NESPAK for the assessment of the approximate economic loss to the country.

"The three have distributed the work between them and by their report the government will be able to know the loss caused by the earthquake in financial terms," he said.

Initial Estimates

“As per initial estimates, Pakistan needs $5 billion over the next four to five ears for the reconstruction of the infrastructure (including educational institutions, hospitals, government offices) and the rehabilitation of the displaced people.

The massive reconstruction work will create economic activity, but the impact on the country’s budget and debt will depend on the grant assistance it receives from the outside world, from the expatriates and from within the country. The more we will receive, the less we will need to borrow," he remarked.

The government had allocated Rs5 billion from the 2005-6 federal budget for rescue and relief operations.

A good support was received from international agencies and from the expatriates who have generated $600 million, while Rs6 billion were generated from within the country.

“With this amount we can finance the rescue and relief operations while keeping the budget deficit with the target," the advisor said.

The tragedy is not being exploited for political gains and every one in the country was united in this hour of need.●