South Asia Earthquake - FACT SHEET

October 20, 2005

Highlights

• 54,000 to 80,000 dead; at least 80,000 wounded; 3.3 million homeless without medicine, water and food.
• The most affected area is only 125 by 190 miles, called Azad Kashmir & Hazara District.
• Due to the Himalayan terrain, with high mountains and deep narrow valleys, and landslides, only 3 roads are functional, while 70% of the affected area remains accessible only by helicopter.
• Weather conditions include heavy rain & snow with drastic drop in temperatures at night. Some high valleys have snow even in summer.
• In the last 11 days, fewer than 30% of the 15,000 villages have been accessed.
• UN assesses window of opportunity is ONE WEEK to save significant number of lives. The UN says that a second wave of death will occur if more helicopters urgently do not provide more aid.
• The UN is calling this disaster, logistically, worse than the Asian Tsunami.
• Wounded being piled 4-5 persons deep in helicopters due to shortage of helicopters.
• Less than 50 helicopters are currently being utilized. The UN is asking the number to be at least tripled immediately.

Urgent Needs
There are many emergency aid needs. The detail list is available at many sites. However, the top priorities are the following:

• 200 helicopters to take emergency aid in and bring the injured out.
• 500,000 Winterized tents

Action Requested

• Contact President Bush, the Secretary of State, the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy to provide 100 helicopters for two weeks to save lives.
• Contact British government, British embassies, Saudi embassies and Counsolates, as well as the Turkish, Malaysian, and Indonesian Counsulates to provide more helicopters. They together have more than a 1000 helicopters available.
• Contact local opinion makers, media, and your interfaith partners to use their influence by calling the above for increasing helicopter support and aid.
• Pray for the dead, the wounded and the homeless resulting from this catastrophe.

Contact Information

Condoleezza Rice -- Department of State
Secretary of State
(202) 647-5291
202-647-4000 main switch board for State Department
or leave a web message at:
http://contact-us.state.gov/cgi-bin/state.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_sid=ROnV-RSh&p_lva=&p_sp=&p_li=
At the website, select the category of “offer comments” or “express policy opinion” and from topic select: secretary of state, send a message:

White House: 202-456-1111; http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Senator & Congressperson: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

Date/Time Last Modified: 10/25/2005 12:06:19 PM

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