III 109th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 319 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 17, 2005 Ms. Mikulski submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Commending relief efforts in response to the earthquake in South Asia and urging a commitment by the United States and the international community to help rebuild critical infrastructure in the affected areas.

Whereas on October 8, 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan; Whereas the epicenter of the earthquake was located near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir, and approximately 60 miles north-northeast of Islamabad, with aftershocks and landslides continuing to affect the area; Whereas the most affected areas are the North West Frontier Province, Northern Punjab, Pakistani-administered Kashmir, and Indian-administered Kashmir; Whereas more than 75,000 people have died, nearly 70,000 are injured, and approximately 2,900,000 people are homeless as a result of the earthquake, and, according to the Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 17,000 of the dead are children; Whereas the United States has pledged a total of $156,000,000 to provide assistance in the affected countries, with $50,000,000 to be used for humanitarian relief, $50,000,000 to be used for reconstruction, and $56,000,000 to be used to support Department of Defense relief operations; Whereas the total amount of humanitarian assistance committed to Pakistan by the United States Agency for International Development is more than $40,000,000; Whereas the Department of Defense has deployed approximately 875 members of the Armed Forces and 31 helicopters to aid in the earthquake relief efforts; Whereas since October 8, 2005, United States helicopters have flown more than 1,000 missions, evacuated approximately 3,400 people, and delivered nearly 5,600,000 pounds of supplies; Whereas the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the affected areas is difficult due to the mountainous terrain, cold weather, and damaged or collapsed infrastructure; Whereas Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during her October 12, 2005, visit to Pakistan, said the United States would support the efforts of the Government of Pakistan over the long-term to provide assistance to the victims of the earthquake and rebuild areas of the country devastated by the earthquake; Whereas the cost of rebuilding the affected areas could be in excess of $1,000,000,000; and Whereas the recovery and reconstruction of the areas devastated by the earthquake will require the concerted leadership of the United States working with the governments of the affected countries and the international community: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)commends the members of the United States Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development for taking swift action to assist the victims of the earthquake in South Asia that occurred on October 8, 2005; (2)commends the international relief effort that includes the work of individual countries, numerous international organizations, and various relief and nongovernmental entities; (3)commends the Governments of Pakistan and India for their cooperation in the common cause of saving lives and providing humanitarian relief to people on both sides of the Line of Control; (4)encourages further cooperation between Pakistan and India on relief operations and efforts to fortify and expand peace and stability in the region as they cope with the impact of the earthquake during the winter of 2005 and the spring of 2006 and seek to rehabilitate the lives of those affected; (5)urges the United States and the world community to reaffirm their commitment to additional generous support for relief and long-term reconstruction efforts in areas affected by the earthquake; and (6)urges continued attention by international donors and relief agencies to the needs of vulnerable populations in the stricken countries, particularly the thousands of children who have been left parentless and homeless by the disaster.