Saudi assistance for quake-stricken areas admirable

The Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced an emergency relief package worth US $133 million for Pakistan when an earthquake measuring 7.6 on international rector scale hit the beautiful region of Azad Jammu and Kashir (AJK) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on October 8, 2005.
This relief package for quake victims was the largest single contribution by any country that time. In Pakistan on October 8 earthquake in the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan played havoc over 3.5 millions of lives including infrastructure on large scale.
During these hard times and hour of need Saudi Arabia was the largest contributor for providing emergency aid to the earthquake relief efforts that time. Then by another fund raising campaign Saudi government supported more by US $10 million and went one step further by institutionalising this assistance in form of Saudi Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims (SPAPEV) under the patronage of Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud and chairman of SPAPEV, Dr Saseed Al-Harthi.
Besides providing many other daily use items aid to quake affected areas, SPAPEV launched relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation activities to improve life in affected areas. On October 12, 2006 the then Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Ali Awadh Asseri announced to construct 8000 pre-fabricated houses project with the consultation of Earthquake Rehabilitation Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) in front of National and International media.
Briefing the media about the relief and reconstruction activities undertaken by SPAPEV, an official of the organisation said that 4000 houses in Balakkot, 3000 in Muzaffarabad and 1000 houses in Bagh areas including construction of 28 educational institution including five government schools worth US $50 million.
The SPAPEV, also contributed an aid of US $2 million to the International Organisation of the UNICEF for building eight Basic Health Units (BHUs) in different quake stricken areas to revive health sector. The housing project was completed within the stipulated time frame and SPAPEV officially handed over the Balakot housing project to KP government in 2009, Muzaffarabad housing project in 2010 to AJK government and Bagh project to AJK in 2011.