US Government Awards ARC $2.7 Million to Continue Pakistan Earthquake Relief Effort

December 19, 2005

The American Refugee Committee (ARC) recently received $2,700,000 from the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance to continue providing shelter, safe water and work for survivors of the earthquake that shook Pakistan on October 8th.

The programs will benefit 46,000 people made homeless or impacted by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake. The quake initially claimed more than 175,000 lives, and wintry conditions in the region are threatening even more lives. ARC is providing services to these people to prevent a second wave of deaths.

“We’ve been in a race against time since the quake hit,” said Louise Paterson, ARC’s Country Director in Pakistan. “The support from USAID will help thousands of people survive the winter.”

“The support from USAID is crucial to ARC’s relief effort in Pakistan,” commented ARC president Hugh Parmer. “The $2.7 million will allow ARC to provide many earthquake survivors with their greatest current need: shelter. We’re working with survivors, providing them with the materials to build temporary shelters and hiring local workers to help get shelter up quickly.”

ARC has been working in Pakistan since 2002, providing services to Afghan refugees in camps in Quetta. From their head office in Islamabad, ARC was able to quickly deploy staff to the earthquake zone and determine the needs of those who were affected. In addition to shelter, safe water, and work, ARC is providing health care, food relief and emergency supplies to survivors of the quake. ARC established two health clinics serving about 500 people each day, and 46,000 people are receiving emergency supplies and food from ARC distributions.

The American Refugee Committee is an international nonprofit, non-sectarian organization providing humanitarian assistance and training to more than one million people in Africa, Asia and Europe. ARC works for the survival, health, and well-being of people affected by conflict and disaster.

Press Contact: Therese Gales at (800) 875-7060 or (612) 221-5161.