UN chief warns of new 'massive wave of death' in Pakistan

United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan warned that a second “massive wave of death” would hit Pakistani areas most affected by the mammoth earthquake unless the international community stepped up the relief effort immediately.

With winter approaching fast and terrain difficult in the affected area of some 11,000 square miles, the relief effort was one of the most challenging undertaken, he said.

“It is a race against time to save the lives of these people,” Annan said. “This is a huge, huge disaster … perhaps the biggest ever that we have seen … and at the time of the cold season.”

“I would hope that the international community will respond and those with capacity will do everything possible to work with us and work with the Pakistani government.”

All essential infrastructure has been destroyed in the area, including roads, water systems, hospitals, schools and government buildings, Annan said explaining that some remote areas have still not been reached because of the difficult terrain.

He called for a major increase in funds, noting that donors had only made firm commitments for 12%, or €29m of the UN appeal for €254.5m. By comparison, he sid, the UN flash appeal after last December’s tsunami was more than 80% funded within 10 days of the disaster.

He also called on key donors and organisations including Nato and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to mobilise helicopters, trucks, and heavy lifting equipment – and he urged donations of 450,000 more winterised tents and shelters, two million blankets and sleeping bags.

“The people and government of Pakistan are faced with an extraordinary challenge and we need to make an extraordinary effort to support them,” Annan told a press conference. “What is needed is an immediate and exceptional escalation of the global relief effort to support the work of the government of Pakistan.”

He said he was sending letters “to a whole set of countries” seeking help.

The latest death toll stands at 42,000 with at least 67,000 people injured, “but because we still have not accessed hundreds of thousands of people in remote areas, we fear that the actual figures are far higher,” he said.

“And unlike some natural disasters, in which victims die immediately, the death toll in Pakistan is not over yet,” Annan warned.

“An estimated three million men, women and children are homeless. Many of them have no blankets or tents to protect them against the merciless Himalayan winter. That means a second, massive wave of death will happen if we do not step up our efforts now.”

The secretary-general sidestepped a question about donor fatigue and said he would be attending an emergency donors’ conference in Geneva next week, which the United Nations was convening. He urged governments and other organisations to attend at the highest level.

“There are no excuses,” he said. “If we are to show ourselves worthy of calling ourselves members of humankind, we must rise to this challenge. Our response will be no less than a measure of our humanity.”