Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct 10, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Catholic Relief Services has announced that it has already committed an initial $50,000 for the immediate needs of the survivors of Saturday’s 7.6-magnitude earthquake in South Asia. This amount is expected to increase significantly as additional assessments take place.
The quake’s epicenter was in Pakistan, which was hardest hit. This morning, Pakistani officials reported that there are as many as 40,000 dead and 2.5 million displaced.
CRS was among the first agencies on the ground within hours of the earthquake and has already identified immediate needs for survivors, including shelter, medicine, food, clean water, blankets and water cans.
"Continuous tremors and multiple aftershocks are forcing traumatized victims to live outside without shelter," said Jack Norman, CRS country representative for Pakistan, in a press release. "In addition, the onset of the monsoon season has made critical roads inaccessible and the start of operations arduous. We fear that landslides may soon follow."