Singaporean response to 2005 Kashmir earthquake
Encyclopedia
In the aftermath of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake
on October 8 in the Pakistan
-administered region of Kashmir
, several rescue and relief operations have been organised in Singapore
to assist victims of the disaster.
Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong
wrote letters of condolence to both Pakistan
i President Pervez Musharraf
and India
n Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
.
In his letter to Musharraf, Lee said he was deeply saddened to hear of the earthquake in South Asia, which has caused devastation and heavy loss of life in Pakistan.
In his letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Lee said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life in Kashmir as a result of the earthquake. He said: "On behalf of the Government and people of Singapore, I would like to convey our condolences and deepest sympathies to you and to the families of the victims." He added that India demonstrated resilience and resolve in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
, and he was confident that it would once again respond decisively to this challenge.
(SCDF) was dispatching a 44-member Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team
(DART) to help Pakistan's relief and rescue operations. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/172542/1/.html They brought along three search-and-rescue dogs
to assist in looking for survivors buried under the earthquake rubble. Two C-130 Hercules
aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force
were used to transport the team to Pakistan.
As of 16 October, the SCDF team, called the Lion Heart, have treated 204 patients since its arrival at Muzaffarabad
and other outskirt towns. Other international teams that were still operating in Muzaffarabad at that time were from Turkey
, North Cyprus and Malaysia.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/173738/1/.html
A six-member team of relief workers from Mercy Relief and the Singapore General Hospital
was sent to Pakistan
to help the victims. Stationed at a partially-damaged hospital in Muzaffarabad
, the team brought with them food and medical supplies, as well as items like tents and blankets, which the Pakistani relief workers have identified as essential items. In the two weeks deployment, the team has treated about 7,000 patients. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/175814/1/.html
The Singapore Red Cross
sent a four-member medical teams composed of two doctors and two nurses to Pakistan to provide emergency medical relief assistance. They were working with the disaster response team from Pakistan's Red Crescent and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent in Islamabad
. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/172551/1/.html
tinned food. Also needed are medicines like antibiotics, typhoid medication, fracture related and first aid kits, surgical instruments and water purification tablets.
The Pakistani High Commission in Singapore is coordinating these effort and providing information to the public about the disaster and the relief operation. The High Commission is also accepting donations made out to the "Presidents' Relief Fund for Earthquake Victims - 2005." As of October 26, this joint fundraising effort has collected S$
700,000. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/175418/1/.html
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) launched a public appeal and organised a special fund-raising in aid of the affected victims. Donation boxes marked "Humanitarian Aid to Earthquake Victims in Pakistan, India & Afghanistan" were placed at all its 68 mosques. http://ib2all.muis.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=146&Itemid=84 As of October 20, 2005, MUIS has collected S$
155,000 in its fund-raising.
The Singapore Red Cross
made a public appeal in helping to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake, accepting cheques made out to the "Singapore Red Cross Society" with "Asian Earthquake" marked at the back of it. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/172551/1/.html
2005 Kashmir earthquake
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 2005...
on October 8 in the Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
-administered region of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, several rescue and relief operations have been organised in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to assist victims of the disaster.
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Singapore
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs.The office of Prime Minister...
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
wrote letters of condolence to both Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i President Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
.
In his letter to Musharraf, Lee said he was deeply saddened to hear of the earthquake in South Asia, which has caused devastation and heavy loss of life in Pakistan.
In his letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Lee said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life in Kashmir as a result of the earthquake. He said: "On behalf of the Government and people of Singapore, I would like to convey our condolences and deepest sympathies to you and to the families of the victims." He added that India demonstrated resilience and resolve in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
, and he was confident that it would once again respond decisively to this challenge.
Disaster rescue team
The Singapore Civil Defence ForceSingapore Civil Defence Force
The Singapore Civil Defence Force is the main agency in charge of the provision of emergency services in Singapore during peacetime and emergency.A uniformed organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the main role of SCDF is to provide...
(SCDF) was dispatching a 44-member Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team
Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team
The Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team is an elite team within the Singapore Civil Defence Force , formed in 1990 to handle complex rescue and fire fighting incidents, such as urban search and rescue; prolonged fire fighting; height and confined space operations; and water rescue.One of the very...
(DART) to help Pakistan's relief and rescue operations. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/172542/1/.html They brought along three search-and-rescue dogs
Search and rescue dog
The use of dogs in search and rescue is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people. Dedicated handlers and well-trained dogs are required for the use of dogs to be effective in search efforts...
to assist in looking for survivors buried under the earthquake rubble. Two C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...
were used to transport the team to Pakistan.
As of 16 October, the SCDF team, called the Lion Heart, have treated 204 patients since its arrival at Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers...
and other outskirt towns. Other international teams that were still operating in Muzaffarabad at that time were from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, North Cyprus and Malaysia.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/173738/1/.html
Relief and medical teams
Singapore also sent two medical and relief teams to the disaster site.A six-member team of relief workers from Mercy Relief and the Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
was sent to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
to help the victims. Stationed at a partially-damaged hospital in Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers...
, the team brought with them food and medical supplies, as well as items like tents and blankets, which the Pakistani relief workers have identified as essential items. In the two weeks deployment, the team has treated about 7,000 patients. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/175814/1/.html
The Singapore Red Cross
Singapore Red Cross
The Singapore Red Cross started out in 30 September 1949 as part of the British Red Cross Society. In 6 April 1973, the Singapore Red Cross was officially incorporated by the Parliament of Singapore...
sent a four-member medical teams composed of two doctors and two nurses to Pakistan to provide emergency medical relief assistance. They were working with the disaster response team from Pakistan's Red Crescent and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent in Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/172551/1/.html
Community relief effort
Various community groups have rallied and organised the collection of donation and relief supplies, including effort by the 4,000 strong Pakistani community. The Singapore Pakistan Association has set up four centres across the country to help collect relief supplies. The needed relief supplies are shelter items like tents and plastic sheets, blankets and mattresses, food items like high energy biscuits and pre-cooked halalHalal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
tinned food. Also needed are medicines like antibiotics, typhoid medication, fracture related and first aid kits, surgical instruments and water purification tablets.
The Pakistani High Commission in Singapore is coordinating these effort and providing information to the public about the disaster and the relief operation. The High Commission is also accepting donations made out to the "Presidents' Relief Fund for Earthquake Victims - 2005." As of October 26, this joint fundraising effort has collected S$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
700,000. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/175418/1/.html
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) launched a public appeal and organised a special fund-raising in aid of the affected victims. Donation boxes marked "Humanitarian Aid to Earthquake Victims in Pakistan, India & Afghanistan" were placed at all its 68 mosques. http://ib2all.muis.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=146&Itemid=84 As of October 20, 2005, MUIS has collected S$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
155,000 in its fund-raising.
The Singapore Red Cross
Singapore Red Cross
The Singapore Red Cross started out in 30 September 1949 as part of the British Red Cross Society. In 6 April 1973, the Singapore Red Cross was officially incorporated by the Parliament of Singapore...
made a public appeal in helping to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake, accepting cheques made out to the "Singapore Red Cross Society" with "Asian Earthquake" marked at the back of it. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/172551/1/.html
External links
- Kashmir Relief & Development Foundation (KRDF)
- Pakistan High Commission in Singapore
- Donations for Earthquake Victims in Pakistan - public appeal by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
- South Asia Earthquake Appeal - donation drive by the Singapore Red CrossSingapore Red CrossThe Singapore Red Cross started out in 30 September 1949 as part of the British Red Cross Society. In 6 April 1973, the Singapore Red Cross was officially incorporated by the Parliament of Singapore...