Press Releases 2008
American Diplomat visits Earthquake-Devastated Areas in Ziarat
November 4, 2008
Ziarat - U.S. Consul General Kay L. Anske visited earthquake-devastated Ziarat District in Balochistan province on November 3, located around 80 kilometers from Quetta. The Consul General's visit was the first by a U.S. Government official to the earthquake zone in Balochistan.
The American diplomat was briefed about the on-going relief efforts by Frontier Constabulary officials at their relief camp office in Ziarat. Consul General Anske also visited NGO relief camps in the area and was given an overview of the relief goods collection and distribution efforts in difficult-to-reach villages in the Ziarat area. In the devastated village of Wam, the Consul General met with earthquake survivors, including women and children, in tents established by relief agencies for them.
The combined USAID assistance -- $599,390 through Save the Children, and $318,419 through ACTED -- has provided immediate relief for affected families in disaster areas of Pakistan. Funds provided through Save the Children support the immediate survival needs of children and their families with essential non-food items, including shelter materials.
Through USAID, ACTED (Technical Cooperation and Development Aid Agency) is providing short-term income generation opportunities to the most vulnerable through community-based projects and is promoting hygiene in the affected areas.
Since 2002, the U.S. Government has provided more than $2 billion to Pakistan to improve economic growth, education, health, and governance and to assist with earthquake reconstruction.