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The international response to the
2005 Kashmir earthquake The 2005 Kashmir earthquake occurred at on 8 October in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir. It was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad, and also affected nearby Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some areas of Indian-administered Jammu an ...
was widespread and immediate, as many countries, international organizations and
non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...
s offered an abundance of relief aid to the affected regions − particularly
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, which was hit the hardest due to the earthquake's
epicentre The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates. Surface damage Before the instrumental pe ...
being around
Muzaffarabad Muzaffarabad (; ur, ) is the capital and largest city of Azad Kashmir, and the 60th largest in Pakistan. The city is located in Muzaffarabad District, near the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by the Pak ...
, the capital city of Pakistani-administered
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (; ), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger ...
. The aid given was in the form of monetary donations and pledges, as well as relief supplies including food, various medical supplies, tents and blankets. Rescue and relief workers as well as peacekeeping troops were sent from different parts of the world to the region, bringing along rescue equipment, including
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
s and rescue dogs. The earthquake displaced some 3.3 million people, while killing around 80,000–100,000.


Africa

* - The Tunisian government sent a C-130 plane with 14 tons of relief supplies, including food, blankets and medical supplies to Pakistan.


Asia

* - The Afghan government sent four rescue helicopters from its nascent air force, as well as a fixed-wing plane loaded with four tons of medicine and army medical personnel, to help with disaster relief in the hardest-hit areas of Kashmir. The country also pledged US$500,000 in aid. The Afghan Red Crescent Society also announced that it would donate 20 tons of dried food and send teams of medical personnel. The aid was given to the local authorities with Pakistan getting most of it because the damages were greater on Pakistani side of the border. * – The
Prime Minister of Cambodia The prime minister of Cambodia ( km, នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីនៃកម្ពុជា, ) is the head of government of Cambodia. The prime minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Cambodia, Cabinet and leads the ex ...
,
Hun Sen Hun Sen (; km, ហ៊ុន សែន, ; born 5 August 1952) is a Cambodian politician and former military commander who has served as the prime minister of Cambodia since 1985. He is the longest-serving head of government of Cambodia, and ...
, pledged US$60,000 in assistance. * - The
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...
of the People's Republic of China, offered emergency aid worth US$6.2 million to help earthquake victims in Pakistan. A 49-member international rescue team and the first batch of rescue materials were sent to Pakistan on October 9, 2005. US$1 million in cash was sent out on October 10, 2005. Rescue teams with sniffer dogs were deployed throughout the region to search for and rescue any survivors. * - The
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...
of
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
approved a grant of HK$3.5 million from the Disaster Relief Fund to World Vision Hong Kong in order to undertake relief projects. Hong Kong procured and arranged to air-freight 20 tons of relief supply, including tents and blankets, to Pakistan. * - Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...
offered quake assistance to Pakistan. Indian and Pakistani High Commissioners were in touch regarding cooperation in relief work. India sent 25 tons of relief material to
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
including food, blankets and medicine. Indian MNCs companies such as
Infosys Infosys Limited is an Indian multinational information technology company that provides business consulting, information technology and outsourcing services. The company was founded in Pune and is headquartered in Bangalore. Infosys is ...
have offered aid up to $226,000. On October 12, an Ilyushin-76 cargo plane ferried across seven truckloads (about 82
ton Ton is the name of any one of several units of measure. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. Mainly it describes units of weight. Confusion can arise because ''ton'' can mean * the long ton, which is 2,240 pounds ...
s) of army medicines, 15,000 blankets and 50 tents and returned to New Delhi. A senior air force official also stated that they were asked by the Indian government to be ready to fly out another similar consignment. On October 14, India dispatched the second consignment to relief material to Pakistan, by train through the Wagah Border. The consignment included 5,000 blankets, 370 tents, 5 tons of plastic sheets and 12 tons of medicine. The third consignment was of medicine and relief material and was supposed to be sent, also by train. India also pledged $25 million as aid to Pakistan.
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
opened the first of three points at Chakan Da Bagh, in Poonch, on the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan for the
2005 Kashmir earthquake The 2005 Kashmir earthquake occurred at on 8 October in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir. It was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad, and also affected nearby Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some areas of Indian-administered Jammu an ...
relief work. * - Indonesia sent a
C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...
aircraft with a medical team, medicine and various emergency materials to Pakistan. The
Indonesian Red Cross The Indonesian Red Cross Society ( id, Palang Merah Indonesia) is a humanitarian organization in Indonesia. It is a member of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Indonesia is the one of the very few Muslim-majority ...
(PMI) also prepared to send humanitarian relief and a special team. * - Iran dispatched different food items, blankets, tents and medicine through two aircraft. * - Israel offered aid to Pakistan and India immediately following the earthquake; Pakistan accepted the aid on the condition that the aid be channeled through a third-party organization such as the United Nations. The nature of the aid is unknown. * –
Prince Rashid bin Al Hassan Prince Rashid bin Hassan (born 20 May 1979) is a member of the Jordanian royal family. He is the son of Prince Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath al-Hassan. Education * Amman Baccalaureate School * Port Regis School * Harrow School - GC ...
, chief of the Jordanian Relief Agencies arrived in Pakistan on October 11, 2005, bringing with him a 50-bed mobile hospital to be deployed in
Rawalakot Rawalakot ( ur, ) is the capital of Poonch district in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in the Pir Panjal Range. History Along with Pallandri, Rawalakot was the focal point of the 1955 Poonch uprising. It was led by the local Sud ...
. * - Japan provided experts and equipment for rescue operations. On October 11, 2005, Japan pledged a further US$20 million and stated that it was ready to dispatch dozens of troops and several transport helicopters to aid relief efforts. A statement by the Japanese Defense Ministry clarified on October 12, 2005, that they would be sending approximately 290 troops and three helicopters to help with the relief work in Pakistan. * - The Kuwaiti government announced a US$100 million in aid to Pakistan. Half of the aid package was expected to be offered in the form of relief assistance, while the other half (approximately $51 million) would be used to repair damaged infrastructure. * - Malaysia dispatched a search-and-rescue team to quake-ravaged Pakistan and US$1 million (
MYR The abbreviation Myr, "million years", is a unit of a quantity of (i.e. ) years, or 31.556926 teraseconds. Usage Myr (million years) is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used with Mya (million years ago). ...
3.8 million) to its government. The Malaysian team comprised 50 men from various agencies and non-governmental organizations, including the National Security Division, Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART), Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Malaysian
Red Crescent The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
Society and Mercy Malaysia. * – Nepal offered US$50,000 in relief to Pakistan. * - In late 2006, a staggering $20 billion development scheme was mooted by Pakistan for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the earthquake hit zones in Azad Kashmir. A land use plan for
Muzaffarabad Muzaffarabad (; ur, ) is the capital and largest city of Azad Kashmir, and the 60th largest in Pakistan. The city is located in Muzaffarabad District, near the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by the Pak ...
city had been prepared by
Japan International Cooperation Agency The is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social growth in developing countries, and the promotion of international co ...
. * - A spokesman for the Qatari foreign ministry said that the country was also willing to give humanitarian assistance to Pakistan. * - Saudi King Abdullah announced an emergency aid package worth 133 million dollars for Pakistan. Earlier, Saudi King Abdullah ordered the rapid establishment of an airlift of doctors, medicine, tents and emergency supplies to the affected region. The Saudi public also made a big contribution to helping victims of the earthquake, on the call of Saudi government. The Saudi government went one step further by institutionalizing this assistance in the form o
Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake victims
(SPAPEV). * -
Singaporean response to 2005 Kashmir earthquake In the aftermath of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake on 8 October in the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir, several rescue and relief operations have been organised in Singapore to assist victims of the disaster. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ...
: Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong (; born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party since 2004. He has been the Member of Par ...
, on behalf of the people of Singapore, expressed his deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims. The
Singapore Civil Defence Force The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is an uniformed organisation in Singapore under the Ministry of Home Affairs that provides emergency services such as firefighting, technical rescue, and emergency medical services, and coordinates nati ...
was preparing to dispatch a 44-member Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team to help Pakistan's relief and rescue operations. Another two medical relief teams were also sent. * - The South Korean government sent US$500,000 along with blankets, relief food and medical supplies to Pakistan as part of their initial response. A further $3 million in aid was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on October 10, 2005. * - Turkey sent 30 aircraft carrying medical teams to Pakistan. Furthermore, on October 20, 2005, Turkey announced a relief package of US$150 million; financial assistance of $100 million and relief goods worth $50 million including 1 million blankets, 50,000 tonnes of flour and 25,000 tonnes of sugar. The Turkish Red Crescent sent 90 health personnel to Pakistan, built tent cities and hospitals. The Turkish Red Crescent also started building a new tent city that will provide shelter for 70,000 people. * - The total monetary commitment, as of October 10, 2005, was US$100 million. United Arab Emirates President
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar,  خليفة بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان‎; 7 September 1948 – 13 May 2022) was the second president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, serving from ...
, ordered the immediate dispatch of humanitarian aid to the region and rescue teams. The Dubai police also left for Pakistan.


Europe

* - Norway provided some NOK 240 million ($38 million) in aid. * - Poland sent rescue dogs, medics and other disaster specialists * - Belgian Federal Government allocated EUR 250,000 (PKR 18 million) and Flemish Government EUR 125,000 (PKR 9 million) for equipment and relief assistance in Pakistan and India. A 5 people strong rescue team was sent and 22 people of the special B-fast rescue team, departed for the region on October 11, 2005. The main purpose of the B-fast team was to set up a
field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile Ar ...
for performing basic operations. * - The prime minister
Jiří Paroubek Jiří Paroubek (; born 21 August 1952) is a Czech politician, who was the prime minister of the Czech Republic from April 2005 to August 2006. He was also the leader of the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) from 2006 until his resignation f ...
announced on TV, that the Czech Republic would provide the victims with
CZK The koruna, or crown, ( sign: Kč; code: CZK, cs, koruna česká) has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union's 9 currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to adopt the euro cur ...
25 million (PKR 61 million). * - The Danish Government initially granted DKK 10 million (PKR 97 million) in aid, but later offered two additional grants of DKK 20 million each, making the total aid DKK 50 million (PKR 485 million). * - Estonia sent an 18-member medical disaster relief team to the northern Pakistan city Batagram. The team worked there for two weeks, during which they built up a hospital tent complex, which was the main facility in the city for medical assistance * - Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland allocated EUR 1 million to support the joint field hospital of Finnish and Norwegian Red Cross organizations. The hospital staff included 20 Finnish medical workers, who left for Pakistan on October 12, 2005, and October 13, 2005. Finland also donated 1.000 tents capable of housing 15.000 individuals. * - France continued its efforts to assist the earthquake victims in Pakistan. After sending many rescue teams with dogs and equipment for rescue operations, French aid to Pakistan was, in November 2005, reaching 10.5 million euros. In addition to this, once must have also considered France's contribution to EU programs and the generous contributions to various NGOs and private companies mobilized in France and in the stricken region since the first day of the quake. On the night of the earthquake, French authorities rushed 25 civil security personnel, 20 rescuers accompanied by dogs and specialized search and rescue material, 41 SAMU (France's emergency medical agency) personnel, and 18 military doctors along with relief materials. * - Germany sent a team of 16
THW The (THW, English: ''Federal Agency for Technical Relief'') is the federal civil protection organisation of Germany. It is controlled by the German federal government. 99% of its 79,543 members (2019) are volunteers. Tasks The tasks of the ...
experts with dogs and equipment for locating people in collapsed buildings. The
German Red Cross The German Red Cross (german: Deutsches Rotes Kreuz ; DRK) is the national Red Cross Society in Germany. With 4 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services withi ...
stood by with tents, water-purification equipment and mobile hospitals, to support the work of its partner organizations in the region. * - The Dutch department of International Co-operation promised EUR 1 million. A team of 66 rescue workers arrived and worked in
Bagh Bagh ( fa, باغ, link=no, meaning "garden") may refer to: Places India * Bagh Caves in Madhya Pradesh, India * Bagh, Dhar, a town in Madhya Pradesh, India Iran * Bagh, Ardabil, a village in Ardabil Province * Bagh, Larestan, a village ...
. The government added EUR 10 million, on October 11, 2005. * - Russia sent two flights carrying rescue teams with dogs and equipment for rescue operations, and it also sent a field hospital. * - Sweden gave 196 million kronor (24,2 million dollars approximately). Sweden prepared to assist a rescue effort led by the UN in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
according to Swedish
Minister for Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
Laila Freivalds Laila Ligita Freivalds (born 22 June 1942) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician who served as Minister for Justice from 1988 to 1991 and again from 1994 to 2000, as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2006 and as Deputy Prime Ministe ...
. * - Switzerland dispatched ten disaster relief experts to Islamabad and the Swiss government pledged CHF 1 million and non-governmental organizations pledged another CHF 750,000. * -
Foreign Secretary The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwe ...
Jack Straw John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946) is a British politician who served in the Cabinet from 1997 to 2010 under the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He held two of the traditional Great Offices of State, as Home Secretary ...
said that Britain was sending out 60 disaster response workers including 50 medical staff. International Development Secretary
Hilary Benn Hilary James Wedgwood Benn (born 26 November 1953) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds Central since a by-election in 1999. He served in the Cabinet from 2003 to 2010, under both Tony Bla ...
announced an initial allocation of PKR 10 million, or about
GBP Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and ...
95,000. As of mid-November 2005, Britain has pledged over GBP 100 million. On October 31, 2005
Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, England. The airline was established in 1984 as British Atlantic Airways, and ...
operated a humanitarian aid charter flight to the capital of
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
,
Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...
with 55 tonnes of aid for the affected by the earthquake in Pakistan.


Americas

* - Canada offered
CAD Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...
100,000 (PKR 5 million) to the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...
for early needs assessment. An additional CAD 200,000 (PKR 10 million) was provided to the Canadian High Commission in Pakistan to respond to urgent requirements, i.e.
housing Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether ...
,
water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...
,
food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is in ...
and
clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natura ...
. The Minister for International Cooperation,
Aileen Carroll Margaret Aileen Carroll ( O'Leary; June 1, 1944 – April 19, 2020) was a Canadian politician. She served as a member of the House of Commons from 1997 to 2006 who represented the ridings of Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford and Barrie. She serve ...
, also announced a pledge of CAD 20 million (PKR 1 billion), including 21
tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000  kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
s of
blanket A blanket is a swath of soft cloth large enough either to cover or to enfold most of the user's body and thick enough to keep the body warm by trapping radiant body heat that otherwise would be lost through convection. Etymology The term ...
s, dispatched by
Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or by using the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in ...
, some of which are being routed to Pakistan from current operations in Afghanistan. The Canadian government also pledged to match all
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
funds as well as lease two
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
s from the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
. A joint team of government officials also was sent to evaluate further assistance, including the possibility of sending the
Disaster Assistance Response Team The Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) (French: ''Équipe d'intervention en cas de catastrophe (EICC)'') is a rapidly deployable team of 200 Canadian Forces personnel. It provides assistance to disaster-affected regions for up to 40 days. DA ...
(DART). Also, due to the fact that many Canadians criticized their government of reacting slowly 10 months ago when the Asian tsunami hit, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin challenged Canada by saying that his government will match whatever donations Canadians make over the next two weeks to NGOs operating in the region. On October 26, 2005, CIDA increased its funding to $57 million, including $10 million donated to the South Asia Earthquake Matching Fund and the other half to the UN and the Red Cross movement. * – President
Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 20 ...
offered, in a letter addressed to the President of Pakistan and made public by officials in
Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.
, to send 200 doctors to Pakistan in order to help treat the victims of the earthquake. Some 2,260 Cuban health brigadistas, more than 1,400 of them doctors, were in the area of Kashmir. The fully equipped Cuban Field Hospitals was handed over to the Pakistani government. The Cuban Government provided 234.5 tons of medicines and disposable materials, and 275.7 tons of most leading-edge equipment. More than 300 students of medicine took courses in the Cuban Field Hospitals. The Cuban Government decided to offer a wide and free medicine scholarships program for 1,000 young Pakistanis from rural communities.
The first Cuban medical team was in Pakistan on October 14, six days after the earthquake, the fast acceptance of the aid was a surprise due to the close relation of Pakistan and the US; the two countries have not even exchanged Ambassadors at that time. The leading Pakistani newspaper ''Dawn'' quoted President Musharraf as saying that "one of the most heart-warming letters of support" following the earthquake was from Fidel Castro. In his letter, Castro said that it was difficult for him to rest when thousands of Pakistanis were spending their days in pain, awaiting surgery. * - The United States announced that it would provide an initial contribution of US$156 million (PKR 3 billion) for emergency relief in Pakistan, and teams from the United States were the first on the scene to deliver assistance. The U.S. military also provided supplies and assistance. As of November 3, 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) had 933 personnel providing relief and reconstruction assistance in support of the Pakistan earthquake relief effort. Five
CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, C ...
and three
UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ( ...
helicopters were moved into Pakistan immediately, and a
C-17 Globemaster III The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of t ...
military aircraft was assigned to bring blankets, tents and other relief supplies to the victims. The 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH), established October 25 in Muzaffarabad, had 36 Intensive Care Unit beds, 60 intermediate minimal care beds, and two operating rooms. To date the MASH has performed 46 surgeries, and treated 548 non-surgical patients. Furthermore, a 23-member logistical support group was also being dispatched from McGuire Air Force Base in
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
. The
United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 b ...
provided more than US$41.8 million for relief work in Pakistan, including nine completed airlifts of relief supplies. The airlifts delivered a total of 45,000 blankets, 1,570 winterized tents, 6,150 rolls of plastic sheeting for approximately 30,750 families, 15,000 water containers, 17 water bladders, 2 water purification units, 10 WHO emergency health kits, and 20 concrete cutting saws. USAID has also committed funds to the UN, other international organizations and NGOs. On Wednesday, November 9, 2005, business leaders from GE, UPS, Pfizer, Xerox, and Citigroup met with President Bush at the White House to announce the launch of the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund and website.


Oceania

* - Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs
Bruce Billson Bruce Frederick Billson (born 26 January 1966) is a former politician who was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the Division of Dunkley in Victoria from 1996 to 2016.A$500,000 ( PKR23
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
) for medical and relief assistance to help provide medical help and shelter to affected communities. Later, Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer Alexander John Gosse Downer (born 9 September 1951) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1994 to 1995, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2007, and High Commissioner to the United King ...
said the Government has increased its total aid pledge to A$5.5 million ( PKR250
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
). On 11 October 2005, this was extended by A$4.5
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
( PKR 204
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
), bringing its total contribution to A$10 million ( PKR 453
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
) In a Ministerial Press Release Defence on November 9, 2005, Defence Minister Robert Hill announced an ADF deployment of about 140 personnel; comprising a command element, an aviation detachment of four Blackhawk helicopters, and logistics and communication personnel. They were to be based in Islamabad and establish a central medical facility located in Dhanni a region 20 km north-east of Muzaffarabad to support efforts. The deployment lasted six months with an estimated cost of A$20 million. * - Caretaker Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Marian Hobbs Marian Leslie Hobbs (born 18 December 1947) is a New Zealand politician who was a Labour Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2008. She was initially a list MP and then (from 1999) represented the electorate. She served as Minister for the Envir ...
said the government aid agency NZAID would make an initial contribution of
NZD The New Zealand dollar ( mi, tāra o Aotearoa; sign: $, NZ$; code: NZD) is the official currency and legal tender of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Ross Dependency, Tokelau, and a British territory, the Pitcairn Islands. Within New Zea ...
750,000 ( PKR 31
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
) to the international relief effort. On 14 October 2005, this was extended by
NZD The New Zealand dollar ( mi, tāra o Aotearoa; sign: $, NZ$; code: NZD) is the official currency and legal tender of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Ross Dependency, Tokelau, and a British territory, the Pitcairn Islands. Within New Zea ...
750,000 ( PKR 31
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
), bringing its total contribution to
NZD The New Zealand dollar ( mi, tāra o Aotearoa; sign: $, NZ$; code: NZD) is the official currency and legal tender of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Ross Dependency, Tokelau, and a British territory, the Pitcairn Islands. Within New Zea ...
1.5
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
( PKR 62
million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
)


Multinational organizations

* — An eight-member U.N. relief team arrived in Pakistan to aid in search-and-rescue operations, coordinate relief efforts and assess the impact of the quake. Agencies involved included the:
United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid t ...
,
United Nations World Food Programme The World Food Programme; it, Programma alimentare mondiale; es, Programa Mundial de Alimentos; ar, برنامج الأغذية العالمي, translit=barnamaj al'aghdhiat alealami; russian: Всемирная продовольствен� ...
,
United Nations Population Fund The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies a ...
and the International Nongovernmental Organizations Forum. Supplies such as blankets, clothes, tents, food for infants and medicine were sent to the disaster regions. The
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaster ...
released US$100,000 (PKR 5 million) of emergency fund for immediate relief aid. *
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...
- WHO rushed 100,000 doses of anti-tetanus globulin to Pakistan as part of their relief effort. WHO had an extensive deployment in Pakistan's affected area. * — The European Commission released EUR 3.6 million (PKR 260 million) on 9 October 2005. Funds were made available to partner humanitarian organisations through ECHO, the humanitarian aid department of the European Commission. * (OIC) — Secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu expressed immense shock and sadness at the tragedy and conveyed his "profound and sincere condolences to the government and the brotherly people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan". He strongly appealed to all OIC member states and the international community, to expeditiously extend all possible humanitarian assistance and support to the Government and people of Pakistan, to overcome the impact of this tragedy. *
World Bank Group The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development Gr ...
- On October 9, 2005, the World Bank committed US$20 million for recovery in Pakistan. This amount was raised to $40 million on October 11, 2005. A further $100 million was offered to build "designed houses" in Northern Pakistan and Kashmir area.News & Broadcast - World Bank Increases Support To Pakistan Quake Zone
/ref>


Non-governmental organizations


Human Aid Focus
was the first NGO to start work in Bagh, Azad Kashmir and won numerous awards for their emergency response. After the 2005 earthquake, they continued working in the area building shelters, school and on women empowerment projects. * Humanity First- The first to reach the earthquake zone. Doctors, paramedics and volunteers from the UK, Canada, USA and Pakistan opened medical and tent camps which continued to provide longterm health care and shelter to the victims of the earthquake. *
Direct Relief Direct Relief (formerly known as Direct Relief International) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally. The organization is headed by an inde ...
- Through October 31, 2006, Direct Relief provided 1.5 million courses of treatment of specifically requested medicines, supplies, and equipment, along with $1.1 million in cash grants to 12 clinics, hospitals, and organizations, to the relief effort, and continues to provide ongoing programmatic support to its partners. *
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...
- An emergency assessment and response team was dispatched to the region. A coordinator said that the "initial needs appear to be tents, blankets, medical kits, food aid, water and trauma counseling for those affected." * The
Sarhad Rural Support Programme The Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) is the largest non-governmental organization working to alleviate poverty in North West Pakistan. It was established in 1989 with the aim of reducing poverty and ensuring sustainable means of livelihood ...
provided immediate relief efforts at a large scale following which it was involved in making damage assessments and paying compensation and monitoring the rebuilding of over 62,000 houses under the project named Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation Project. * The
International Rescue Corps The International Rescue Corps (IRC) is a volunteer organisation involved in disaster rescue, based in Grangemouth, Scotland. Description International Rescue Corps is an independent (i.e. non-governmental funded) United Nations registered d ...
deployed a specialist Urban Search and Rescue team of 14 volunteers to Pakistan as part of the wider UK response. *
Red Crescent The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
- Emergency assessment and response teams were deployed in all parts of the affected region. A team of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reached Muzaffarabad on October 10, 2005. Further teams deployed in Uri and Jammu with the Indian Red Cross Society. The ICRC set up a website to facilitate the contact between relatives and friends unable to get in touch with each other. *
The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...
- Is mobilizing some truckloads of relief supplies. *
SOS Children's Villages SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit international development organization headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The organization provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children in need and protect ...
announced an emergency relief program in Jammu and Kashmir.
Subh-e-Nau: An Environment and Public Health Concern
was the first to initiate an aid and volunteer coordination mechanism. It later studied and put together the SN Disability Reduction and Rehabilitation Strategy that was presented to the international relief community. The SN Disability Program then focused on rehabilitation of persons with spinal cord injury, with the help of national and international volunteers, mainly from Canada. * The
Minhaj Welfare Foundation Minhaj Welfare Foundation (MWF) is a non-governmental international relief and welfare organisation and a branch of Minhaj-ul-Quran International. It was founded on 17 October 1989 by Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, and registered in the UK. MWF's pro ...
has been active in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
over a decade. At the time of the earthquake they established tent villages with supplies and full medical facilities. * The Edhi Foundation has been active in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
for two decades. They provided food, clothes, blankets and medicine to those affected by the disaster. * The World Islamic Mission Welfare Trust - sent out phases of doctors to the area, including both General Physicians and Surgeons with tens of thousands of pounds worth of medicine. They also set up various dispensaries within affected areas, as well as collaborated with hospitals within the area to take airlifted injured survivors. Rehabilitation became the main focus after the immediate phase has passed. * SPO - Provided relief aid and medical goods at the Lady Reading and Khyber Hospitals, in Peshawar. Till date, goods worth 850 000 Rs. were sent. * DEMIRA Deutsche Minenraeumer e.V. deployed an emergency team to Balakot district only hours after the earthquake. In cooperation with the Pakistan army DEMIRA set up a medical facility in the valley of Ghanool providing the hard-hit mountain communities with lifesaving triage and air ambulance. * JEN Japan Emergency NGOs worked for the relief operation on 9 October 2005. Expert came from Japan to provide Non Food Items (NFIs) to the affected people in District Bagh. JEN worked in District Bagh until December 2008. JEN constructed 3 permanent structure (earthquake proof)Schools and 3 Shelter schools, each school contains 2 shelters.


Estimate of financial aid

On November 19, 2005, it was estimated that the international community as a whole pledged about US$5.8 billion.


Effects

A 2016 study showed that the Pakistanis affected by the international relief effort showed markedly higher trust in Europeans, Americans and Cubans.


References


External links

{{Commons category, 2005 Kashmir earthquake relief efforts
Earthquake Jolts Corporate Responsibility
2005 Kashmir earthquake
Kashmir earthquake The 2005 Kashmir earthquake occurred at on 8 October in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir. It was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad, and also affected nearby Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some areas of Indian-administered Jammu and ...
2005 in international relations Non-combat military operations involving Pakistan Kashmir