UN emergency co-ordinator appeals for more aid

The UN’s emergency relief chief arrived in quake-stricken Pakistan today to survey ongoing aid efforts for the millions affected by last weekend’s natural disaster.

UN Under-secretary General and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator Jan Egeland flew by helicopter to the devastated city of Muzaffarabad, capital of the Pakistani-controlled side of Kashmir, to get a first-hand look at what he called a “massive relief operation".

Emphasising the urgent need for delivering faster aid, Egeland said he feared that “we are losing the race against the clock in the small villages” of north-western Pakistan that have been cut off by blocked roads.

“I will look for myself at how quickly and effectively aid is reaching the small villages, which we have seen from helicopters. The destruction is massive. What is important is to co-ordinate hundreds of organisations involved in this massive operation,” he said.

“My appeal to the world is to come up with more aid, more relief, and more resources.”