AMMAN/MUZAFFARABAD, 4 November 2005 — Jordan’s Queen Rania yesterday launched a television appeal for the child victims of last month’s devastating earthquake in Pakistan that killed more than 73,000 people and has left millions homeless.
“The children of the Pakistan earthquake need you. Many are sick and injured. And now, the outbreak of disease poses an immediate and very real threat,” the queen said in a public service announcement.
“It only takes $5 to immunize a child and give him or her a new lease on life. Help us reach the four million children who need protection from disease.”
The media campaign has been launched in cooperation with the UN children’s fund, UNICEF, and the public service announcements were being aired on television stations carried by Arabsat and Euro Sat.
Queen Rania visited earthquake survivors in Muzaffarabad, the devastated capital of Azad Kashmir, last week as a representative of UNICEF, and took a planeload of relief supplies.
“It is very urgent to intensify efforts for the rehabilitation of affected people,” she told reporters during her visit.
King Abdullah of Jordan visited Pakistan on Oct. 14, the first foreign head of state to do so after the quake.
Jordan has already sent five planes of relief goods to Pakistan along with a 25-bed mobile hospital with a 50-member staff.
State-run Jordan television is running a telethon to collect donations.
Meanwhile, rescuers tried to reach dozens of villages left without any aid since last month’s quake as solemn survivors marked the last day of Ramadan.
International and Pakistani helicopters made renewed attempts to get to devastated areas.
“The problem is of means of transportation,” said Brig. Zafar Ali. “That’s why we are trying and appealing to the international community to come and help us with choppers.”
Aid officials have warned that thousands more may risk death and starvation unless survivors in the remote mountain hamlets get more food and shelter before the winter starts in a few weeks.
Pakistan’s relief chief Maj. Gen. Farooq said on Wednesday that 41 villages were yet to be reached.
The United Nations has appealed to rich nations to donate more cash, saying the world body has received less than a quarter of what it needs for immediate emergency aid.
