Today's Date:

Reply given by Philippe Douste-Blazy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to a question in the National Assembly

Paris,October 26, 2005

As you have very rightly said, an earthquake registering 7.6 on the Richter scale hit central Asia, Kashmir in particular. The figures are frightening, since, in Pakistan, there’s talk of 54,000 dead, 78,000 injured and, in India, 1,300 dead and 3,000 injured.

Today there are four main problems. The first is that some towns and villages have been almost entirely destroyed, which explains the three million people without shelter.

Moreover, the weather conditions have deteriorated and, as you said, in three weeks’ time the first snows will fall.

Finally, infrastructure and hospitals have been destroyed, which means that humanitarian aid can’t be delivered or distributed.

Last point, the risks of epidemics are increasingly being recognized.

On day one, the day of the disaster, France sent a civil protection [disaster and emergencies] team allowing an assessment of the needs and the removal of a number of bodies.

We subsequently sent four planes to the area: on board the first were around 50 French armed services emergency doctors, together with emergency doctors from French public hospitals whom I’d like to pay tribute to here. They have worked with Pakistani doctors. I also pay tribute to the NGOs, particularly the French ones, who are on the ground today.

The other three planes carried 85-100 tonnes of humanitarian freight.

We are currently participating in the ECHO [European Commission Humanitarian aid Office] project, financing 17% of the cost. In Geneva this evening, Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General, had a meeting with the donors and France will, of course, go on helping.

What I feel is most important today is that France, who has already contributed around €5 to 6 million, is going to continue her efforts: we are announcing a further €5 million of aid and are helping with surgical equipment and the vaccination of children and the elderly./.