Pakistanis get peanuts for quake relief

$9.5m of $2bn world pledges received so far

By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has so far received a paltry sum of less than $ 10 million in cash for earthquake relief operation from the world capitals against over $ 2 billion pledges, it is learnt. A government spokesman when contacted on Tuesday reluctantly confirmed to The News that only $ 9.5 million had so far been transferred to the country’s kitty by the world capitals.

"Some of the countries are contacting their embassies in Islamabad to get to know the procedure for the transfer of pledged money," said spokesman of the Economic Affairs Division Ameer Tariq Zaman when contacted by The News. He expected that more money would come sooner than later but confirmed that till Tuesday only $ 9.5 million had been transferred in cash to Pakistan.

Sources, however, said that most of the countries, which have pledged the financial assistance to the government of Pakistan to help the country meet the immediate challenge of providing relief to the quake survivors, have told Islamabad that that they would prefer to implement their pledges in the shape of kind and services instead of giving cash.

Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam when contacted on Monday denied to have the knowledge of the exact amount that has already been transferred to Pakistan but admitted that different countries are contributing in kind.

Aslam referred to the United Nation’s open grumble at World’s apathy in translating their pledges to reality for Pakistani earthquake victims.

According to the sources, the situation is very upsetting for the government that is in dire need of foreign funding, which is not coming despite the repeated appeals and worsening situation for the earthquake survivors.

Details of the cash inflow as shared by a senior Prime Minister Secretariat source on condition of anonymity reveal that Malaysia and China top the list by giving Pakistan one million dollars each. None of the world’s biggest economies except USA are included in the list of those who have given cash, no matter how little, to Pakistan. The US gave $ 100,000.

Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan are among those countries that have translated their pledges into cash. Afghanistan has given $ 500,000; Austria $ 500,000; Azerbaijan $ 500,000; Brunei $ 600,000; Nepal $ 50,000; Maldives $ 30,000; and Bhutan $ 50,000.

The government is pursuing hard through the Foreign Office and the EAD to get the pledges of $ 2.1 billion translated into cash transfer, but it is not getting much encouraging response with most of the countries insisting to contribute in kind and services.

Many countries including the USA, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Britain etc have already included the relief goods being sent by them to Pakistan since October 8 as part of their announced pledge. The American Chinook helicopters taking part in the relief operation, it is said, are part of the services being charged and deducted from the announced assistance.

The cost of these services and the relief goods being brought in by different countries, it is said, are also too heavy as compared to price structure and services charges here. Moreover, the sources said, most of the countries contributing to the UN’s flash appeal for relief operation are also deducting their contribution to the global body from the pledges they have announced for the government of Pakistan.

"We are not sure what would we get at the end of the day," a source said, adding that some leading countries that had pledged reasonable amount for relief operation have already indicated that they would prefer to have direct role in the relief work for the quake victims.

The USA has pledged $ 156 m, Saudi Arabia $ 133 million; Britain $ 58.3m; Turkey $ 150m; United Arab Emirate $ 100m; Kuwait $ 100m; Japan $ 70m; Germany $ 30.7m; China $ 20m; Canada $ 49m; Australia $ 10m; Norway $ 26m; Sweden $ 15.3m; Switzerland $ 15.6m; Netherlands $ 26m; Denmark $ 13.7m etc. The authorities are completely unsure as to what would be they finally getting out of the total committed $ 2.1 billion. "Perhaps peanuts," a source apprehended.