Pakistan Earthquake Relief Operations: Background Information

Background to the Earthquake

A major earthquake (7.6 on the Richter scale) hit the Muzaffarabad area of Pakistani-administered Kashmir at 8.50am (Local time) (3.50am GMT) on the morning of Saturday 8 October 2005.  The tremors were felt as far as Northern India and Afghanistan and aftershocks continued all day.

The Government of Pakistan estimates that 73,322 are dead and 69,392 people have been injured.  2.5 million people have been made homeless by the quake and 15,000 villages have been affected.  Much of the regional capital, Muzaffarabad, was destroyed.  The towns of Bagh and Rawalakot were also damaged and even now the impact in some remote villages remains unknown.  Landslides blocked roads and there was extensive damage to electricity, water and telephone infrastructure and all the city's hospitals.

The World Food Programme estimates some 500,000 people in remote areas have received no aid at all.  One of the biggest problems is meeting the demand for tents as the cold weather worsens.  Fears are mounting of a second wave of deaths from untreated injuries and exposure.

The UK Government response

The UK was deeply saddened to learn of the terrible earthquake and responded immediately.  The Pakistani authorities accepted an offer of assistance from the UK Government.  The Department for International Development (DfID), acting as the lead UK Government Department, activated their emergency plan. 

The UK has pledged a total package of £128 million.  This includes £58 million for the relief effort (£38.1 million of which has been committed so far); and £70 million for the reconstruction effort, pledged at the International Aid Conference in Islamabad on 19 November 2005.  The UK is the fourth largest pledging nation behind Saudi Arabia, US, China, and Iran.  A total of $5.8bn has been pledged by the international community.

DfID are in regular contact with the United Nations and a number of NGOs to establish how best the UK can help them to meet the needs of the earthquake victims.  DfID continues to pay for relief flights on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee charities, including Islamic Relief, British Red Cross, Christian Aid and Oxfam.  For a comprehensive guide to the UK Government relief effort, please visit the DfID website.