Help still needed: Mr Bush says donors have failed to deliver $A121 million in aid. [File photo]
Last Update: Saturday, October 7, 2006. 12:00pm (AEST)

Pakistani quake aid donors fall short

More than $US90 million ($A121 million) in pledges made to Pakistan after a devastating earthquake a year ago has yet to be delivered and is urgently needed, former US president George Bush says.

Mr Bush, a special envoy of UN secretary-general Kofi Annan for the South Asia earthquake, says about two-thirds of the $US255 million ($A343 million) budgeted for an early recovery plan has been received.

But the rest of the money promised by various donor nations has not yet been paid.

"I want to highlight the fact that we're still missing $US94 million, which is critical for bridging the gap from relief to recovery," Mr Bush said.

The earthquake, which struck on October 8 last year, killed more than 73,000 people in Pakistan and 1,500 in Indian Kashmir.

It has left more than 3 million people destitute.

Mr Bush, whose job as a special envoy ends in January, says areas still under-funded are water and sanitation, housing, and support to vulnerable people.

"In terms of getting the pledges turned into something meaningful, we have made a start by contacting the different donor countries," he said.

"I'm not satisfied that they have responded totally the way we would like."

Mr Bush says he is concerned about donor fatigue, because so many humanitarian efforts around the world need funding, like the ongoing recovery from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed about 230,000 people.

A month after the quake, international donors pledged $US6.5 billion for Pakistan to help it through the relief, recovery and reconstruction phases of the crisis.

Reconstruction costs had been put at $US3.6 billion originally, but that figure greatly under-estimated the number of new houses needed.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said yesterday the amount now required was $US4.4 billion, leaving Pakistan $US800 million short.

- Reuters