NATO rescues Pakistan quake survivors from winter
Published: December 16, 2005
NATO’s engineers are assisting the Pakistan army in ‘Operation Winter Race’ to help survivors of October’s earthquake exposed to harsh weather conditions in the mountainous Himalayan region, the organization’s spokesman said on Friday.
‘NATO’s helicopters were flying up to 67 tons of relief goods daily to remote mountain villages and evacuating victims before the winter sets in,’ spokesman Antonio Rodrigues said in a statement in Islamabad.
So far more than 2,000 quake victims from mountainous areas have been evacuated by NATO rescuers.
‘The aim of this operation is to set up shelters for the population living in the mountains before the winter sets in,’ Rodrigues said.
Rodrigues said NATO’s air bridge has flown more than 2,898 tons of tents, blankets, stoves and food into Pakistan in more than 153 flights from Europe, while its Medical Relief Hospital (NMRH) located in Bagh district has treated more than 4,015 patients.
The Italian engineers contingent that joined the relief team earlier this month is working on clearing roads and removing debris from collapsed buildings.
‘The Italians brought 136 trucks that include 20 dumper trucks, 12 trailers, four lift trailers, four excavators and four bulldozers and they (engineers) are making a great impact to the relief efforts,’ the NATO spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the 140 U.S. sailors from Naval Mobile Construction (NMCB) Battalion 74, commonly known as Seabees, are to return home shortly on completion of their seven-week humanitarian mission in the quake-affected Kashmir region, a U.S. embassy statement said Friday.
They are being replaced by a fresh contingent of 40 Seabees from Port Hueneme, California.
In November, the Seabees also adopted Miani Bandi village adjacent to the civilian airport in Muzzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan- administered Kashmir, as part of the Pakistani government’s ‘Adopt-a-Village’ programme.
‘In addition to removing debris from the village, the Seabees built four new school structures and assisted the Pakistan military and local homeowners in rebuilding 40 shelters,’ said the statement.
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