It is time for the international community to offer immediate assistance to Pakistan, which was hit by the country's strongest earthquake on record on Saturday.

The 7.6-magnitude quake is estimated to have claimed more than 20,000 lives and injured more than 40,000, mostly in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The devastating tremor wiped out entire villages, damaged roads and knocked out electricity and water supplies in remote, mountainous areas.

Hundreds are feared to have been buried alive in rubble while more than 120,000 are in urgent need of shelter and up to 4 million could be left homeless, according to aid agencies.

Although the Pakistani Government and people have launched an all-out rescue and relief effort, it is still a daunting task for the country to cope with its worst-ever natural disaster on its own. So the Pakistani Government's effort to seek help for the benefit of its people should be appreciated by the international community.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has appealed to the world for help, saying the country needs medicine, tents, cargo helicopters and financial assistance to help survivors.

"We do seek international assistance. We have enough manpower, but we need financial support," Musharraf said.

Fortunately and encouragingly, the whole world has reacted rapidly as governments and aid agencies around the globe deploy emergency rescue and medical teams, pledge money and send aid and condolences to earthquake-ravaged Pakistan.

As Pakistan's close neighbor, China has promised US$6.2 million in aid. A 49-member Chinese rescue team has already deployed in earthquake-hit areas, with the first batch of 15 tons of relief goods.

So far, the United States and the governments of Japan, Thailand, Germany, Britain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Azerbaijan and Australia have pledged US$4.17 million in aid.

The Asian Development Bank said it will reallocate US$10 million from ongoing projects for immediate emergency assistance in the worst-affected areas of Pakistan while the European Union on Sunday committed € 3.6 million (US$4.4 million) in primary emergency relief.

Meanwhile, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, France, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and some other countries have sent or plan to send emergency teams to help the rescue effort. International aid will undoubtedly play a key role in Pakistan's earthquake relief and reconstruction work.

Just like the international effort to address such disasters as the Asian tsunami last December and Hurricane Katrina in the United States last month, global co-operation to help victims of the South Asia quake has again demonstrated the importance of international unity. Given the massive power of Mother Nature, no single country in the world, rich or poor, can afford to handle a catastrophe like this alone.

The pain and suffering caused to one country and its people should be felt by the entire world. In the face of natural disasters, mutual help and co-operation should go beyond different political systems and ideologies to become the basis upon which international society and humankind are placed together. Each government and nation has the opportunity to shoulder its responsibility as a member of the international community.

It is hoped the quake relief operation will help ease the decades-old rivalry between Pakistan and India, which also reported hundreds of deaths in India-controlled Kashmir. As a new sign of easing tensions between the two nations, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh phoned Musharraf to offer help with relief and rescue work. If the long-time confrontation that resulted from the Kashmir problem can be set aside to help both nations engage in a joint relief operation, quake victims will not only benefit now but be given a glimmer of hope for the future.

(China Daily October 11,2005)