Pakistan pins quake recovery hopes on donors' confce

Thousands could be left without shelter to help them survive the Himalayan winter unless foreign donors produce the money to help them, aid agencies warned ahead of the meeting.

Even if they survive the snow, which has already begun falling in parts of quake-hit northern Pakistan, their longer-term future also depends on the international community's financial support.

"Long-term relief and reconstruction would mean creation of new cities to relocate people before their cities can be rebuilt. This can take any time between one year to five years," foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told AFP.

The United Nations has still only received about a quarter of its 550-million-dollar emergency appeal for aid over the next six months, vital to get food and shelter to people before the bitter winter.

Long-term, Pakistan needs about 5.2 billion dollars and is pinning the hopes on Saturday's conference.

For the short-term relief and rehabilitation it has received pledges of 2.46 billion out of which only 211.2 million has been received, according to government officials.

"It will be a ministerial-level conference and around 50 countries have been invited," Aslam said. A foreign ministry statement said 25 nations had confirmed their attendance.

In addition, about 30 international organisations and 15 international financial institutions are also to attend the gathering, which is due to open at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) at Islamabad's Convention Centre.

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf will unveil a strategy on plans to handle the mammoth task of rehabilitation of the victims, and reconstruction of infrastructure devastated by the October 8 earthquake in the country's northern regions.

The quake killed more than 73,000 people in Pakistan, left 3.5 million homeless, and also killed more than 1,300 in India.