GP leads aid effort for quake victims (From Penarth Times)

GP leads aid effort for quake victims

A PENARTH doctor is at the heart of emergency relief efforts to provide vital supplies to survivors of the Pakistan earthquake.

Dr Nawab Khan, a GP at Stanwell Road surgery who comes from the Pakistani city of Islamabad, raised 15,000 in just over a day for the relief effort. The aid - in the form of emergency survival kits of tents and food - is already being delivered on the ground by the Khanbahadur Lallbibi Welfare Trust (KLWT), an organisation of which Dr Khan is a trustee.

Dr Kahn said: "In a day we raised more than 15,000, which will hopefully go to provide food and shelter for at least 150 families. My sister and brother-in-law live in Islamabad, about 90 kilometres from the disaster areas of Kashmir and the North West Frontier.

"They have closed their electrical business to concentrate on running the relief operation on the ground.

"Many of their employees have joined their team of about 70 people working flat-out to get food to victims.

"We are trying to provide immediate aid to survivors until the larger international relief organisations move in over the next few weeks," explained Dr Khan, who yesterday met with First Minister Rhodri Morgan to discuss the aid efforts.

"This week my sister's team has delivered rations of food to 2,500 people who have been left homeless by the disaster."

Dr Kahn said it costs around 100 for a survival package of a month's food and shelter for a family of five.

"We have already spent 10,000 on tents, which are vital if victims are to survive," he added.

Much of the money that has poured in has come from Dr Kahn's medical contacts in Britain, but he is urging the public to give generously.

He added that they have received a donation of tents from the British International Dog Rescue Team - but need 5,000 to fly them out.

More than 23,000 people are confirmed dead following the earthquake, which hit last Saturday. It is feared the final death toll could be far higher.