# News Pakistan earthquake

1. Oct 20, 2005

### pattylou

This can use some more visibility. Our press seems more interested in Wilma, which is weakening, than in the earthquake, whose death toll continues to mount.:grumpy: The toll has jumped from 54,000 to 79,000 this week aone, and may double if we don't get more aid to the region.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005%5C10%5C21%5Cstory_21-10-2005_pg1_2 [Broken]

You can donate to Red Cross; although we've been using Oxfam this year:

http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

Feel free to move this thread if it belongs in GD. I figured it fits under "world affairs."

Last edited by a moderator: May 2, 2017
2. Oct 20, 2005

### pattylou

More snippets from another story - this isn't getting better; it's getting worse.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,7369,1597433,00.html

Oxfam makes it easy to donate specifically to this disaster. Click on the link above.

3. Oct 20, 2005

### Pengwuino

Man this year has been relentless. I wonder how many red cross volunteers are still working the tsunami relief effort...

4. Oct 21, 2005

### Anttech

Yep.. Just so this thread will stay in Political forum, I wanted to add that the Earthquake is Bush's fault...

Ok I said it:

Now Donate! These people need our help!!!

5. Oct 23, 2005

### Staff: Mentor

They just had another strong aftershock in the same area.

http://www.everything-science.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=82&topic=5244.msg58005#msg58005

Pakistan/Kashmir may now have more that 80,000 dead, and more than 3 million without homes!

India, Pakistan Propose Opening Borders for Earthquake Relief
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=avRUZVIiQQVM [Broken]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/south_asia/2005/south_asia_quake/default.stm

Last edited by a moderator: May 2, 2017
6. Oct 23, 2005

### SOS2008

My same thoughts when watching the death toll rise higher and higher--the loss of life is no comparison even to Katrina. Here is what a little aid has already done:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9779472/

How much do we spend each day trying to democratize and nation-build in Iraq alone? We could generate so much more goodwill, but where will the resources come from when we are over extended in military conflict and increasingly in debt to other nations such as China? A measly $50 million has gone much farther in this way. Last edited by a moderator: May 2, 2017 7. Oct 23, 2005 ### Gokul43201 Staff Emeritus http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4366528.stm 8. Oct 23, 2005 ### oldunion Does anyone else find it strange there has been the asian earthquak (tsunami), pakistan earthquake, katrina, wilma, alpha, and the other one that hit texas. weather control anyone? 9. Oct 23, 2005 ### Pengwuino Yes, i'm sure governments are just foaming at the mouth to kill millions of people in all parts of the world for no reason. 10. Oct 23, 2005 ### pattylou I don't find it strange. Every year people say "things have never been this bad." Even if this year is "worse," so what? It's nature. We're subject to it. We're gonna have some hellish natural disasters from time to time, and sometimes they will crop up together. That's random chance for you. But, we could try to respond appropriately - which means getting aid to Asia at the moment. Thanks to all who contributed on this thread. :) 11. Oct 23, 2005 ### Art A couple of reasons I saw cited for the increased death tolls from natural disasters were, first better communication these days; meaning in the past natural disasters in remote areas simply went unreported and secondly the increase in population has resulted in people living in areas previous generations would have avoided as they are known to be prone to catastrophic conditions from time to time. 12. Oct 23, 2005 ### cefarix My father, being a doctor, went to and came back from Muzaffarabad and other areas to the north. He was telling me the situation is just utterly beyond belief there. :sad: 13. Oct 26, 2005 ### pattylou Cefarix, I'm sorry to hear about the situation. This is awful. I've been organising a fundraiser at the kids' school. Our girl scouts ("girl guides" in other countries) will be collecting monetary donations next week, to donate to Oxfam for the victims of this earthquake. I don't know that we'll collect much, but I hope we do. More generally: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/219053/113026770775.htm The other moms I have spoken too, however, are all glad that there will be a fundraiser, and plan to donate. Some school children will be happy to donate - the problem as I see it, is lack of coverage - perhaps due to all the scandal currently plaguing domestic events. 14. Oct 26, 2005 ### champ2823 It is known to anyone that has ever researched weather modification that our government has been conducting research and experimentation to use in warfare against others without them knowing it. Many public documents talk about this and I don't remember exactly which documents, but Air Force 2025 has some sections about it. The last known time I know of was when they would seed clouds in Vietnam to make roads impassible. Currently, I have seen no credible documents proving or even alluding to any of these catastrophes being anything other than "natural disasters", therefore I personally find it unfair to say that it wasn't "natural". Although the technology exists, I personally am not about to say that any government had any hand in what has been occuring. Only the presense of credible documents would be able to prove it, and since I have seen none, I classify them as "natural". What does irk me about these disasters is why high ranking government officials feel the need to go to these areas for photo ops to gain political favor. Other than being a politician, what useful things can they do? Medics, engineers, food suppliers, etc... is what is in dire need. Government officials are none of these. All they do is get in the way, divert attention away from relief efforts, and take away time and resources from others that would be best suited to tackle the disaster at hand. The best thing a politician can do is stay away from the disaster area and do the best they can to get private companies and relief aid to the region and let them take full control as this is what they specialize in. To go to a region hit by a disaster for nothing more than a photo op is just ridiculous in my book. 15. Oct 26, 2005 ### The Smoking Man Often, it is written into law that to release emergency funds to these areas the highest ranking officals must make an assessment. That's not saying it doesn't make a great photo-op but there are actually 'legal' reasons it must happen. 16. Oct 30, 2005 ### pattylou Last edited by a moderator: May 2, 2017 17. Oct 30, 2005 ### The Smoking Man I have a bit of a problem with this. India offered to send help using helecopters. Pakistan refused stating they would not allow Indian helecopters across the border using Indian Pilots. I'm getting a bit tired of these penny ante nations pleading for help and then slapping conditions on what they receive or worse, as in the case of the Tsunami, actually taxing relief as it comes across the border. Tons of supplies were held hostage in ports while the relief organizations went back to their own countries and tried to drum up cash contributions to the tune of$5 million to get the authorities to allow the aid into the country.

Then they say who can and can't help!?

Let them try to solve the problems themselves until they learn the old adage, 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'.

When these 'DICKtators' learn that people helping is the RIGHT kind of international co-operation and not meant to undermine their power, I will contribute again.

At the moment, they seem to think that seeing the Indians as human and wishing to aid them in their hour of need may take the 'fight' out of the people.

Governments are scum.

18. Oct 30, 2005

### The Smoking Man

I heard about this on Fox two days ago. Is it true?

http://www.livejournal.com/users/mparent7777/3701465.html [Broken]

Last edited by a moderator: May 2, 2017
19. Oct 30, 2005

### Curious3141

The attitude that Pakistan has taken greatly saddens me. I really thought India and Pakistan had been heading for a real breakthrough in cordial relations. This natural disaster, tragic as it is, actually presents a golden opportunity for people in both countries to come together in a crisis.

India has made overtures. Sadly, the Pak government sees fit to reject aid in Indian helicopters, which seems more than a tad ungrateful and petty.

Then there're the bomb blasts in the heart of India. So many people dead, just before a happy day (Diwali). I know the Pak government is not directly to blame, but some blame must decidedly go their way because they have been happily sponsoring and supporting these bloody terrorist groups that operate in Kashmir and the heart of India itself. Does it really surprise the Pak government that the beast they've nurtured for so long now refuses to listen when they plead for a cessation of terrorist violence ? And will Pak completely and categorically stop aiding these murderers after the immediate crisis is over ? I think not.

Pakistan has had a long history of sponsoring terrorism. State sponspored terrorism is de facto an act of war. I was really hoping that this natural disaster would pave the way for Pakistan and its terrorist hounds to change their ways, but no such luck.

20. Oct 30, 2005

### pattylou

THe most recent reports that I have heard regarding the Kashmir border is that it is being opened.

I certainly don't think the India-Pakistan mess should affect whether I, as a non-Pakistani or non-Indian, sends aid.

The people in the villages need help. Bush is being a dick for not matching the funds he gave to the Tsunami victims. Maybe the heads of state in India and Pakistan are being dicks, too, but that doesn't have to stop any of us individual, caring human beings, from trying to help out.

http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

Know someone interested in this topic? Share this thread via Reddit, Google+, Twitter, or Facebook