Bush Sr named special envoy for Pakistan quake relief

The UN secretary-general has appointed former US President George Bush as his special envoy for rehabilitation and reconstruction in quake-hit areas of northwestern Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, the Foreign Ministry said today.

Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said Kofi Annan called Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf last night to inform him of the appointment.

“It is a good selection and we welcome it,” she said, and expressed hope that it will help relieve many problems faced by the October 8 quake survivors.

Pakistan’s military, with the help of international aid agencies and foreign countries, has been running one of the world’s biggest relief operations in northern parts of the country since the quake struck, killing 87,000 people and destroying the homes of 3.5 million more.

Most survivors have been living in tents donated by the UN and aid groups amid growing concerns that a harsh winter could deal a blow to aid efforts.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees will open 13 new camps in Kashmir to improve conditions for quake survivors who have been struggling in existing crowded settlements, where diseases have been reported due to poor sanitation.

Christine Nevu, UNHCR’s co-ordinator for Muzaffarabad, said about 2,800 families – or about 14,000 people – would be relocated to these new camps, some of which have already started receiving people.

There are about 40 camps in the region run by the UNHCR and Pakistani relief agencies. So far, the agency said it has distributed more than 20,000 tents, 60,875 plastic sheets and more than 320,000 blankets, among other items.

Bush’s appointment came a day after UN humanitarian relief co-ordinator Jan Vandemoortele appealed for an additional €37.3m to provide survivors with thick blankets and shelter materials. He said another 2.4 million blankets, 170,000 plastic sheets and 200,000 tarpaulins were needed.

“We have a concern about the continued flow of the contributions,” he said, adding that aid has slowed to about just one quarter of what was coming in last month.

Last month, international donors meeting in Pakistan pledged more than €4.9bn in aid and soft loans.

Aslam said today that the elder Bush was a well-known personality, and she hoped that he would be helpful in urging countries to continue assisting Pakistan.

Bush, together with former US President Bill Clinton, also helped raise funds for victims of last year’s Asian tsunami.