The Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, today pledged another £63m in earthquake relief funds as anger grew over the pace of the response to the south Asia disaster. The Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, today pledged another £63m in earthquake relief funds as anger grew over the pace of the response to the south Asia disaster.
Mr Singh, making his first visit to some of the devastated areas of Indian-controlled Kashmir, admitted that survivors of Saturday's quake did not have enough tents or medicines.
Authorities in Pakistan and India have been struggling to reach remote areas devatstated by the disaster. Roads have been blocked by landslides, and many communities have been without water and electricity for days.
The death toll from the 7.6-magnitude earthquake, which flattened whole towns around its epicentre in Kashmir, is close to 40,000, and 2.5 million people have been made homeless.
The official toll in Pakistan remains at around 20,000, but a senior army official close to the rescue operations today said it was believed the figure was "between 35,000 and 40,000 people".
Indian officials said the death toll in Indian-controlled Kashmir had reached 1,005.
Fears were growing over how survivors in the worst-hit areas near the mountainous Pakistan-India border in Kashmir and northern Pakistan would cope with winter weather only six weeks away.
As he toured some of the affected areas, Mr Singh assured thousands of people that India's federal government would help them rebuild their lives.
The relief funds he pledged today was in addition to the £17m already promised by his government for the relief and rehabilitation in the Himalayan territory.
Trucks carrying aid were today reaching Muzaffarabad, the ruined capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. As the aid arrived, scuffles broke out among survivors desperate for food and blankets.
Almost every building in the river town has been either destroyed or damaged. Relatives and rescuers have spent the last three days attempting to save people trapped in the rubble.
"We are still looking for bodies in the debris," AM Khandy, the deputy commissioner in the Indian Kashmir district of Karnah, said. "It is a calamity that is overwhelming our resources."
The UN world food programme last night began a major airlifting of emergency supplies to Pakistan. More planes were due to arrive later today, carrying medical supplies, generators and high-energy biscuits, the organisation said.
Meanwhile, US military helicopters flew from their base in Afghanistan to bring supplies to Pakistan and take injured people to hospitals.
Several countries increased their promises of aid as the scale of the disaster became clearer.
Japan responded today to an appeal by the Pakistani president, General Pervez Musharraf, for more aid, with a pledge of £11m.
Gen Musharraf said his government was doing its best to respond to the crisis, and appealed for more helicopters. "We are doing whatever is humanly possible," he said.
Kuwait has led the way with aid pledges, promising £57m, while the US has promised £28m.
Britain today increased its assistance to £2m, and an aid flight was due to leave Nottingham East Midlands airport to take supplies to Islamabad today.
Thousands of British families directly affected by the earthquake were desperate for news of relatives. In Birmingham alone, 90,000 people originate from the earthquake disaster zone.
Yesterday, the Muslim Association of Britain criticised the level of aid pledged by the government as "measly".
Other countries to have pledged financial help include Canada, Azerbaijan, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Thailand.
Tsunami swamps Japan after powerful quake - ABC News (Australian ...
Large areas of Japan's northern Pacific coast have been swamped by a devastating tsunami, engulfing entire towns following a major 8.9 ...
Mr Singh, making his first visit to some of the devastated areas of Indian-controlled Kashmir, admitted that survivors of Saturday's quake did not have enough tents or medicines.
Authorities in Pakistan and India have been struggling to reach remote areas devatstated by the disaster. Roads have been blocked by landslides, and many communities have been without water and electricity for days.
The death toll from the 7.6-magnitude earthquake, which flattened whole towns around its epicentre in Kashmir, is close to 40,000, and 2.5 million people have been made homeless.
The official toll in Pakistan remains at around 20,000, but a senior army official close to the rescue operations today said it was believed the figure was "between 35,000 and 40,000 people".
Indian officials said the death toll in Indian-controlled Kashmir had reached 1,005.
Fears were growing over how survivors in the worst-hit areas near the mountainous Pakistan-India border in Kashmir and northern Pakistan would cope with winter weather only six weeks away.
As he toured some of the affected areas, Mr Singh assured thousands of people that India's federal government would help them rebuild their lives.
The relief funds he pledged today was in addition to the £17m already promised by his government for the relief and rehabilitation in the Himalayan territory.
Trucks carrying aid were today reaching Muzaffarabad, the ruined capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. As the aid arrived, scuffles broke out among survivors desperate for food and blankets.
Almost every building in the river town has been either destroyed or damaged. Relatives and rescuers have spent the last three days attempting to save people trapped in the rubble.
"We are still looking for bodies in the debris," AM Khandy, the deputy commissioner in the Indian Kashmir district of Karnah, said. "It is a calamity that is overwhelming our resources."
The UN world food programme last night began a major airlifting of emergency supplies to Pakistan. More planes were due to arrive later today, carrying medical supplies, generators and high-energy biscuits, the organisation said.
Meanwhile, US military helicopters flew from their base in Afghanistan to bring supplies to Pakistan and take injured people to hospitals.
Several countries increased their promises of aid as the scale of the disaster became clearer.
Japan responded today to an appeal by the Pakistani president, General Pervez Musharraf, for more aid, with a pledge of £11m.
Gen Musharraf said his government was doing its best to respond to the crisis, and appealed for more helicopters. "We are doing whatever is humanly possible," he said.
Kuwait has led the way with aid pledges, promising £57m, while the US has promised £28m.
Britain today increased its assistance to £2m, and an aid flight was due to leave Nottingham East Midlands airport to take supplies to Islamabad today.
Thousands of British families directly affected by the earthquake were desperate for news of relatives. In Birmingham alone, 90,000 people originate from the earthquake disaster zone.
Yesterday, the Muslim Association of Britain criticised the level of aid pledged by the government as "measly".
Other countries to have pledged financial help include Canada, Azerbaijan, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Thailand.
Tsunami swamps Japan after powerful quake - ABC News (Australian ...
Large areas of Japan's northern Pacific coast have been swamped by a devastating tsunami, engulfing entire towns following a major 8.9 ...
