Greg Mortenson

America’s response to Pakistan’s earthquake must be swift and substantial, said the director of a Bozeman-based nonprofit organization that funds schools in remote villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Greg Mortenson, director of the Central Asia Institute, said he would lobby Congress to encourage the government to “pay back” Pakistan for its involvement in the war against terrorism by sending massive amounts of U.S. relief aid.

“The government should either write off a billion dollars in debt owed by Pakistan or just cut a check to the Pakistan government,” Mortenson said during a phone interview from Bozeman.

The earthquake struck during the holy month of Ramadan, a season of charitable giving for Muslims.

Although the Central Asia Institute supports 53 schools with 20,000 students in Pakistan and Afghanistan, none of those schools was damaged by the quake.

The closest of the institute schools is about 150 miles from the region hardest hit by Saturday’s earthquake. Although communications in the area have been severely disrupted, Mortenson has heard from staff in the region.

The area where the Indian subcontinent meets Asia proper is a region of high seismic volatility. Mortenson, who will travel to the region in early November, has witnessed two significant earthquakes during previous visits to the area.

An e-mail from Mortenson a few days after the quake said his group has been “receiving dozens of calls and e-mail from people wanting to help in Pakistan.”

Mortenson’s nonprofit group is providing disaster aid focused on school children affected by the earthquake and is giving temporary tents and supplies to continue educating the youngsters. The group can be reached by mail at Central Asia Institute; P.O. Box 7209; Bozeman, MT 59771; by phone at 585-7841; by e-mail at cai@ikat.org; and on its Web site, www.ikat.org.

Mortenson passed along the names of some other U.S.-registered nonprofits working in the area.

“But their efforts pale in comparison to Pakistan’s Army help or Red Crescent (the Islamic equivalent of the Red Cross),” he said.

Here are some of the agencies suggested by Mortenson:

· Islamic Relief USA, 1919 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91506; (818) 238-9520; info@irw.org/link]; [link=hyperlink url]www.irw.org. Islamic Relief USA is already providing emergency tents, food, water and medicine. The group has expertise in working in Azad Kashmir and is well-respected and accepted by local people. The U.S. office can take IRS tax-deductible donations.

· International Rescue Committee, 122 E. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10168; (212) 551-3000; irc@intrescom.org; www.theirc.org. Founded by Albert Einstein in 1933, the organization works in 25 countries affected by war, disaster and resettlement. In Pakistan, it provides food, milk, water, blankets, tents and medical relief. IRC has worked in this area before and has expertise in natural disasters and emergencies.

· Mercy Corps, Dept. W, P.O. Box 2669, Portland, OR 97208-2669; (503) 796 6800; www.mercycorps.org.

· UNICEF, 333 E. 38th St., New York, N.Y. 10016; (212) 686-5522; information@unicefusa.org; www.unicefusa.org. The group is on the ground providing medical care.

· Oxfam America, 26 West St., Boston, MA 02111; (617) 482-1211; action@oxfamamerica.org; www.oxfamamerica.org. Oxfam is based in the United Kingdom, but the U.S. office can take IRS tax-deductible donations. The group has extensive experience with disaster areas. Oxfam will send 60,000 tents and 300,000 blankets immediately to Pakistan.

· International Medical Corps, 1919 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 300, Santa Monica, CA 90404; (310) 826-7800;imc@imcworldwide.org; www.imcworldwide.org. The group provides emergency medical care and deployed five medical teams to earthquake-affected areas.

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© 2005 Billings Gazette