Bush creates fund to support quake victims in Pakistan
PakistanTimes.net Foreign Desk Report

ISLAMABAD: President George W Bush has created the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund (SAERF) that will provide critically needed funds and supplies to thousands of people recovering from the devastating October 8 earthquake.

With the support of the President, five private sector leaders will lead the nationwide effort to raise awareness and resources to help those in need as a result of this disaster, a US embassy statement said.

The five executives directing the SAERF include: Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO, General Electric; Hank McKinnell Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Pfizer; Anne Mulcahy, Chairman and CEO, Xerox; Jim Kelly, former chairman and CEO, UPS; and Sanford Weill, Chairman, Citigroup.

The Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy, an international non-profit forum of over 100 CEOs and chairpersons dedicated to advocating and practicing corporate philanthropy, will administer the fund.

The corporate executives met with President Bush on November 9 at the White House to discuss their plans to increase private resources for humanitarian assistance.

To date, the 7.6 magnitude earthquake has claimed more than 86,000 lives and left thousands in need of food, supplies, medical treatment, and as winter approaches, adequate shelter.

A trip to the region is being planned in the near future to allow the executives to survey the relief efforts, assess where US donor assistance is most needed and to meet with Pakistani officials about the disaster.

More US aid in Pipeline

Lahore Bureau of 'PakistanTimes.net' adds: The United States is committed to supporting relief efforts for the early rehabilitation of earthquake affectees in Pakistan.

This was stated by the Principal Officer, US Department of State, US Consulate Lahore Brian Heath during a meeting with the LCCI President Mian Shafqat Ali in Lahore on Friday.

The US Principal Officer said the US had already handed over a cash donation of 156 million US dollars and more money was in the pipeline.

As many as 1,000 US personnel were active in relief work affected areas and 30 US helicopters were working to provide relief goods to the victims of the devastating earthquake.

Heath said though it was very difficult to define the magnitude of the destruction caused by the earthquake, the response from the LCCI at this time of national crisis was so quick that it needed to be praised.

Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI president thanked the US government for extending a helping hand and urged the US government to take up the responsibility to raise concern in the countries of its influence to do the utmost to help the earthquake victims.

Mian Shafqat said the Pakistanis are appreciative of all the support received from the USA after the disastrous earthquake of October-8.●