RM1m used for shelter, blankets, medical aid

The Star PETALING JAYA: RM1mil of the RM3.6mil collected to date for the South Asia Quake Fund has been used for tents, blankets, medical services and other kinds of shelter for earthquake victims in Pakistan, said Mercy Malaysia president Datuk Dr Jemilah Mahmood.
The balance will go towards building semi-permanent shelters, maintaining the health centres as well as the running of mobile clinics and field hospitals in Bagh.
Dr Jemilah said Mercy was also supporting the district hospital in collaboration with the local district office there.
“To date, we have deployed 14 teams comprising 150 volunteers and will continue to deploy them until the end of January when we will reassess the need,” she said yesterday after receiving a cheque of RM1.15mil from The Star's South Asia Quake Fund to Mercy at Menara Star here.
The Star’s South Asia Quake Fund, set up to help victims of the earthquake that hit the Indian sub-continent on Oct 8, is now closed.
Thanking The Star for being a part of the humanitarian relief project, Dr Jemilah said: “We just do our best. We are indebted to The Star.”
She revealed that Mercy received a special grant of RM3.7mil for three years from Khazanah Malaysia.
With the grant, which is to cover expenses, all the money collected for the fund will go to the beneficiaries.
For next year, Dr Jemilah said Mercy would focus on awareness programmes to educate communities on risk and disaster management.
She said they hoped to empower the local community with such knowledge because first response must come from the community.