Dear APPEC members, Donors, Volunteers, Supporters, Friends,
As most of you are already aware, APPEC is agressively engaged in flood-relief activities for over 20 million flood-affected people in Pakistan. Over the past four weeks, through test and trial, we have streamlined a supply chain for delivery of relief supplies from Paris region [ile-de-france] to Pakistan (Islamabad). While I am coordinating the overall effort, the supplies are being collected at the following address under the supervision of Usman IDRIS:
usman.idris[at]online.fr , +33 608 169 187 , +33 148 196 354
To give all of you an idea of items required, the supplies may consist of biscuits, wafers, chocolates, potato chips, dates, packets of dry-fruit, nuts, cooking oil, water bottles, juice packs, milk packs, oral rehydration solution, medicines, clothes, shoes, rain-coats, mosquito nets, bedding items, solar lamps/stoves, plastic glasses + plates, paper towels, washing soap, insect repellants, female sanitary tissues, baby feeder bottles, etc.
Once received, these supplies are then packed into boxes, labeled and addressed to an APPEC+Signalianz team member in Pakistan. The transport is being provided free of cost by Pakistan International Airlines. The government of Pakistan has ordered PIA to deliver all items to a government fund being headed by the Prime Minister (for concerns of transportation of contraband items into the country). However, goods that are marked for NDMA* may be released to other relief associations after obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Prime Minister secretariat. Our contact channel through NDMA graciously allows all supplies marked for: Muhammad Naeem Younas, APPEC (malik.awan85[at]gmail.com, +92 301 855 1727) to be delivered to APPEC + Signalianz teams working in Islamabad (and Lahore) in Pakistan. We have acquired an NOC in his name. We mark the packages as: Consignee = NDMA, C/O Muhammad Naeem Younas, Association = APPEC. We note down the Tracking number (on Airway Bill), the PIA consignment number, Flight info and take photographs of each consignment as we hand it over to PIA Cargo outlet at Roissy Charles De-Gaulle International Airport, here in Paris. We, then, communicate these numbers to APPEC members in Pakistan for retrieval of the supplies from PIA Cargo Terminal at Islamabad International Airport.
*NDMA: National Disaster Management Authority is being headed by Lt Gen (R) Nadeem Ahmed, who over saw a remarkable operation for distribution of relief supplies and rehabilitation efforts during the earthquake of 2005.
So far following shipments have been dispatched, received on the other end and [mostly] distributed in various rounds of flood-relief missions by teams working under the auspices of APPEC, Signalians and JAWAN associations. (For details and updates see comments section below).
1. 23/08/2010 First Consignment: 151 Kg
CLOTHES (Men + Women + Children) = 8 Cartons
FOOD (biscuits, chips, water bottles) = 3 Cartons
2. 25/08/2010 Second Consignment: 731 Kg
MEDICINES = 16 Cartons
FOOD = 6 Cartons
CLOTHES (Men + Women + Children) = 35 Cartons
SHOES = 2 Cartons
3. 26/08/2010 Third Consignment: 1620 Kg
Water, Drinks = 3 mega pallets
4. 27/08/2010 Fourth Consignment: 1500+ Kg
MEDICINES = 16 Cartons
FOOD + UTILITY ITEMS = 9 Cartons
CLOTHES (Men + Women + Children) = 14 Cartons
5. 30/08/2010 Fifth Consignment: 1034 Kg
MEDICINES (Infusion Solution) = 5 Cartons
FOOD PACKS = 69 Cartons
CLOTHES (Men + Women + Children) = 14 Cartons
Should any of you need additional information, guidance, help, etc. please feel free to contact us.
Waqqas AKHTAR
Paris, France.
waqqas_akhtar[at]yahoo.com
+33 630 006 043
Update 01:
De: Naeem Younis Awan
À: Waqqas Akhtar
Envoyé le: Lun 30 août 2010, 22h 10min 04s
Objet: Urgently needed in the flood affected areas
We had just been discussing that all the basic things that we need to transport to the flood affected areas [rations, basic healthcare medicines, disposable water etc.] are available locally so for the people who haven’t bought anything yet, it is preferable to send their monetary donations or assist us in purchasing these things from the local market. There are certain benefits of adopting this scheme
1. Local Markets are cheap in terms of medicines, clothing & ration.
2. Its convenient for us to get all the things purchased and packed at one place.
3. Its hectic to get NOC issued against each individual consignment from the NDMA – Prime Minister’s Secreteriat (Sarkari Khaatey), track the shipment from the airport, get it custom cleared and then transport it to the central dumping location.
4. Locally we have to and can alter our plans as per the current requirements of the people and utilize the money in the most efficient way so as to meet the survival needs of the people.
5. Shippings usually take a week to reach whereas donations can be transferred overnight.
In lieu of this we would highly recommend either to support us financially OR donate by purchasing with us from the local market OR send us the items which are not available or scarce in the local market.
Having said this, we totally acknowledge and appreciate your efforts in sending us these goods and would continue to receive and include your aids in our relief efforts. Above mentioned is to highlight another aspect of helping the victims of the calamity in an efficient way.
For NOW, we have identified tents as “the item” that we need. Can anyone arrange to send us around 100-200 tents (any more would be appreciated) ?
Your feedback on this would be helpful.
Jazak Allah
– Naeem
Update 02:
De: Usman Idris
À: Waqqas Akhtar
Envoyé le: Lun 30 août 2010, 14h 11min 10s
[…]
I expect to send shipment end of this week.
Regarding Tents, I got best negotiated price direct from a foreign manufacturer of 65 Euro, a tent for 6 to 8 people, Size 4X3 meters.
If one of you have a better price, please tell me.
Please circulate within your friends.
With many thanks.
Regards,
Usman
Update 03:
De: Noman Javed
À: Waqqas Akhtar
Envoyé le: Mar 31 août 2010, 23h 09min 44s
Objet: Request from Orléans, France
Assalam O Alaikum
[…]
… we are four students in Orléans. We decided to send tents to Syed Talat Hussain (TV Anchor with AAJ TV) as he has mentioned in one of his program the need of tents. But we can’t do enough alone so we decided to collect funds from different mosques. We talked with pakistani community here and with their help we succeed in collecting almost 10,000€ from mosques and marché. Meanwhile we have send the first lot of tents through PIA and and its being collected by talat’s team from PIA. We have also bought 36 more tents and tomorrow we’ll collect these tents InshaAllah. In short from the collection of 10,000€ we’ve bought 46 tents (total aviable in this region) and hopefully we’ll buy some Tarpauline sheets tomorrow as well.
Suggestion:
I have seen on APPEC website that you are now looking for tents. We have bought the tent (original price = 89.90€) at the price of 65€ from Decathlon. They reduced the price as we told them its for the victims of flood in pakistan. The other reduction is the TVA as the product is going abroad. I suggest you to try to find Tarpauline sheets (bâche) as I have specifically asked Talat about the requirement and he told me that tarpauline sheet is cheeper and easy to handle. You can find tarpauline sheet on the magasin de bricolage like Castorama, Brico Depot. Ask them to provide you heavy duty bâche.
The next suggestion is, if you could collaborate with Syed Talat Hussain and Kashif Abbasi. It’ll be better for our nation if honest and reliable people or organizations start working together. You can see NUPSA (National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni) on AAJ relief website in the relif partner section. It’ll be helpful if someone of you in pakistan can access Talat and present him the details about the APPEC projects, success stories specially the flood relief effort. I request you to watch the last 7-8 programs of Talat. It’ll be helpful for you in understanding his point and presenting your case accordingly. Atleast must watch these two programs:
http://www.friendskorner.com/forum/f154/video-live-talat-16th-august-2010-a-197193/
http://www.friendskorner.com/forum/f154/video-live-talat-23rd-august-2010-a-198020/
We all are willing to become the members of APPEC.
In the end I would like to thank you again on the behalf of all of us.
Regards,
Noman Javed
Update 04:
De: Fadil Aleem
À: Usman IDRIS
Cc: Waqqas Akhtar
Envoyé le: Jeu 2 septembre 2010, 7h 16min 28s
Objet: Re: Urgently needed in the flood affected areas
Dear Usman,
In Pakistan we can get tents of the same dimensions from PKR 7,000 to 9,000. The issue is availability, have to wait for it sometimes and quality. As you can imagine, every other guy has started making tents and some are of poor quality but for the same price.
There is another simpler model which is being manufactured by different ‘tarpal makers’ and ebing sold for PKR 3,000. It consists of a bamboo for support in the middle and canvas and is nailed to the ground. While it is not a very long lasting solution but it is cheap for sure.
If we can get tents from abroad, we will be sure of getting a good quality product and you can effectively utilize donors money into sending us something which is really needed at the moment.
Fadil Aleem.
Update 05:
De: Usman IDRIS
À: Naeem Younis Awan, Noman Javed
Cc: Waqqas Akhtar
Envoyé le: Mer 8 septembre 2010, 2h 22min 59s
Objet: Tents from France for Flood-Affectees
Dear Naeem, please find attached AWB copy of consignment (tents for flood-affectees) sent by APPEC. I think the consignment will arrive at ISB airport by PIA’s today’s flight from Paris-CDG.
Dear Noman, we shall soon receive the form to reclaim VAT.
Cordialement/Regards,
Usman