Bush Sr to visit Pak quake-hit areas

Islamabad: Former US President George Bush Senior arrived in Pakistan to review the reconstruction in areas devastated by the October quake.

Bush is there as a UN special envoy to help with rehabilitation of the quake survivors. He met with Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad to discuss the relief efforts.

He has assured that people will be benefited by the $5.9 billion aid promised.

The UN has so far received over $324 million in actual contribution against their aid appeal of $550 million for relief efforts in areas that had been ravaged by the October 8 earthquake.

His visit comes as snow and rains have once again badly affected relief efforts in Kashmir and North West Frontier Province, where some three million people were left homeless by the earthquake.

Many survivors are living in tents and the UN says more than 80 per dent of the tents are not winterized. The Pakistani military says the biggest challenge is reaching quake survivors high up in the mountains.

(With Agency inputs)