The UN Secretary-General appealed to donors to obtain assistance to Pakistan

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA organised a ministerial-level Donor Conference in Geneva on 26 October to help the victims of the earthquake of 8 October in Pakistan.

The Conference convened representatives from about 70 governments in Geneva, all the key humanitarian organisations and several international organisations. The Conference was also attended by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and senior officials representing the Government of Pakistan.

The Conference was chaired by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland. The UN and Pakistan urged governments to take action to obtain immediate assistance to the quake-hit region. The earthquake has affected Pakistani-held Kashmir and the north-west province of Pakistan, but also regions in India and Afghanistan. Hundreds of cities and villages have been swept away especially around Muzaffarabad, Mansehra, Balakot and Baragram in Pakistan. The approaching winter in the Himalayas poses unprecedented challenges to the donor logistics and relief workers.

The Conference launched a revised UN Flash Appeal, which provides a coordinated presentation of all UN agencies' and organisations' assistance needs. A total of USD 549.585.941 is sought through the flash appeal to cover the immediate humanitarian needs. The UN agencies and organisations have split the responsibility for different activities and their coordination between ten of its agencies as follows: UNHCR takes care of the establishment of temporary camps; IOM of temporary shelters; WHO of health issues; WFP of logistical needs; WFP and UNICEF of food and nutrition; UNICEF of water and sanitation; UNICEF of education; UNICEF of the protection of women and children; OCHA, WFP and UNICEF of telecommunications; and UNDP of recovery and reconstruction.

Ambassador Vesa Himanen, Ministeri Counsellor Satu Mattila and Attaché Aleksi Hokkanen

Finland like the other donors told about its assistance to Pakistan. The most visible item of Finnish assistance has been a field hospital provided by the Finnish Red Cross, containing all the facilities of a mobile hospital unit. The hospital was erected on a cricket field in Muzaffarabad and is the only open hospital in the region.

Finland has also provided technical assistance to support the UN evaluation groups and contributed to logistics and communication. Finland received special acknowledgement for the winter-proof tents that Mr Egeland said he has personal experience and knowledge of.

As many as 60 countries pledged their support, either by providing money or goods or by giving moral support. The Conference registered new pledges of catastrophe assistance worth a total of USD 580 million through the UN or bilaterally.

OCHA is planning on convening another conference later this year, after the most immediate humanitarian needs have been satisfied. The new conference would focus on reconstruction.

OCHA Flash Appeal(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)