Help save Pak quake victims
"Eighty percent houses were destroyed in the affected areas. Tents and blankets are now the most urgent needs to save hundreds of thousands of people, especially the women and children who are living under open sky and suffering from tremendous cold and rain," said Ikram ul-Majeed Sehgal.
Speaking at a press conference organised by Probe News Magazine at Dhaka Reporters' Unity auditorium in the city,
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Sehgal said a lot of dead bodies are there to be buried and thousands to be fed.
"If prompt steps are not taken, the casualties might reach to 90,000," he added.
Sehgal, also Publisher and Chief Editor of Defence Journal of Pakistan, said his country received enough food assistance, but the affected people need at least 5,00,000 blankets, 2 to 2.5 million tents, and at least 400 doctors and many more volunteers apart from 30 to 40 hospitals to be set up there.
"All roads and rail communications were destroyed in most of the earthquake-affected areas, large part of which is mountainous. So, to recover the survivors from those areas we still need about 100 helicopters," he said, adding that about 2.5 million people are still homeless.
Sehgal said Pakistan would welcome helicopters and members of the army as volunteers from Bangladesh in its rehabilitation programme, as there is no controversy between these two countries.
On Pakistan's denial of receiving helicopters from India, the defence expert said, "There are already some conflicts between the two countries and naturally Pakistan does not want to take any risk in welcoming the army helicopters from that country."
"We are, however, very grateful to India. The way they responded in sending relief for Pakistan is really immense and laudable," he added.
Total rehabilitation of the victims would require at least 5 to 10 years with a resources of about 5 to 10 billion dollars, Sehgal said, adding, "Until now Pakistan has gathered not more than one billion dollars."
"Bangladesh should have a comprehensive disaster management plan with all types of equipment and technologies to avert mass damage in the wake of such disaster," he suggested.
Sehgal said he will meet the leaders of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) at 3:00pm today to give them the first hand picture of the unprecedented disaster that left about 60,000 people dead.
He will leave for New Delhi tomorrow to meet the leaders of Federation of India Chamber of Commerce and Industries in a similar mission.
Chief Editor of Probe News Magazine Irtiza Nazim Ali, and Editor Ayesha Kabir were present at the press conference.