Pakistani man to donate money quake-hit families

ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani philanthropist has said he would provide Rs. 10,000 in cash to every family affected by the Jan 19 earthquake in Balochistan.

Abdul Sattar Edhi, founder of the Edhi Foundation, said he would also visit the quake-hit townships in Dalbandin and distribute 400 tents for the affected people.

“I came to know through media that 200 houses had been damaged by the earthquake. I will visit the areas to meet the affected people and will help them,” he was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

As humans it was the responsibility of all to help their brothers in this hour of need, he said.

“I had received good response from the people of Balochistan during floods and feel that they love me,” he said.

Edhi said because of unfair distribution of resources and wealth, Pakistan has been compounded by poverty.

People affected by this week’s earthquake are facing an acute shortage of tents and blankets. They have been left to cope with the vagaries of freezing weather without proper shelter and are living in damaged houses, some of whose boundary walls have collapsed, according to reports.

“There were no casualties but the earthquake has damaged more than 250 mud houses. This number is bound to go up because our assessment is in preliminary stages and other remote areas are only now being accessed,” Balochistan Assistant Commissioner Tufail Baloch said.