Singaporean Response To 2005 Kashmir Earthquake - Community Relief Effort

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 in Singapore. 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 halal 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.

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. 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.