Much more needed to address plight of Balochistan quake victims: HRCP

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has voiced serious expressed concern over the plight of the people affected by this week’s earthquake in Balochistan and stressed that the victims are in need of much more attention and emergency relief than had been made available to them so far.

In a statement issued on Friday, HRCP said: “As more details become available of the devastation caused by this week’s earthquake in Balochistan, and in Awaran district in particular, it is apparent that the situation is considerably worse than previously thought. The casualties are believed to be much higher than had been initially reported. Thousands of people have been rendered homeless and rescue teams are yet to reach many affected areas of Balochistan. People in many places are said to be spending their nights in the open and are yet to receive food, water or medical supplies.

HRCP calls upon the Balochistan government to spare no effort to help the victims of the disaster and the federal government to immediately support the provincial government in whatever it needs help with, both in terms of rescue and emergency relief and for longer-term rehabilitation and recovery efforts.

HRCP also wishes to express its strong dismay over Baloch insurgents’ attempts to hamper rescue and relief operations. The Commission particularly disapproves of an attack on a helicopter carrying the head of Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief in the affected region and earnestly hopes that the insurgents would desist from exploiting the stricken population’s misery and be more considerate of their humanitarian needs at this difficult time.”