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India’s response to the disaster caused by the 8 October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan was swift and spontaneous. After the Prime Minister of India had spoken to the President of Pakistan on the same day of the quake offering to provide whatever assistance that Pakistan may require, India sent one aircraft and three trains carrying relief material. This material weighed about 900 tonnes and was valued at approximately Rs. 21crore or equivalent to US$ 4.7 million. The following are the details of these relief goods.
Blankets 25500
Tents 2200
Sleeping Bags 15200
Plastic/FRP Sheets 41500
Medicines 30 tonnes
Anti-Tetanus Injections 10000
Pethidine Injection 10000
Fortified biscuits 100 tonnes
The material also included X-Ray machines & film and other essential medicines.
Following the opening of five Crossing Points on Line of Control, India also handed over relief material weighing more than 400 tonnes and valued at about Rs. one crore. This material included 1220 quintals of food packets containing essential items such as rice, atta, sugar, dal and salt; and the remaining comprised mainly, blankets, medicines and galvanised steel sheets.
With the above, the total amount of relief material sent by the Government of India to the Government of Pakistan works out to more than 1300 tonnes estimated at a value of about Rs 22 crores or US $ 5million.
The Government of India pledged an assistance of US$ 25 million for the victims of the earthquake to be utilised in housing and education sectors. The Government of Pakistan has accepted this offer and indicated interest to source construction material from India utilising this assistance.
Apart from official assistance, considerable amounts of relief material have also been sent from India by private agencies, State Government of Punjab, Government bodies such as the Minorities Commission, local and foreign NGOs. Most of this material was sent via Attari-Wagah land and rail routes. As per available information, the following are the details of major items sent through this mode which are valued at approximately Rs. 47 crores or US$ 10.5 million:
Blankets 11.5 lakhs
Tents/tarpaulins 60000
Galvanised steel sheets 50 tonnes
Biscuits 3365 tonnes
To sum up, the total value of relief material, both official and private, sent from India to Pakistan is estimated at Rs. 69 crores, equivalent to US$ 15.5 million.
The High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi has also been allowed to source material from India and send both by land and air. Available information indicates that about 4000 kg of blankets by air and 5000 tents by land route were sent by the High Commission of Pakistan.
New Delhi
January 6, 2006
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