EU plans more emergency quake aid, US pledges $50m

The European Union today said it planned to provide further emergency aid beyond the €3.6m it had already committed for the victims of the huge earthquake that struck southern Asia over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the US ambassador in Pakistan has said the White House has authorised $50m (€41.2m) for quake relief and reconstruction.

The EU funds already approved will cover emergency medical services and supplies, shelter, food and drinking water, sanitation, and basic household equipment to make sure survivors of the quake will get help as soon as possible.

The additional amount had yet to be determined. The European Commission was assessing today how much of its remaining emergency humanitarian budget of €20m it could commit to the developing crisis in Pakistan and India, where the death toll hovered between 20,000 and 30,000 and was expected to rise.

“The priority now is transportation and how to get helicopters there,” said EU spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio.

He said the international response to the aid requests from the region had been very good. “The donations from the international community are rising very fast,” Tardio said.

Besides the EU emergency aid approved yesterday, several of the 25 EU member nations have already made direct promises of aid.