JUAN Antonio Fernández Palacios, Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations and international agencies headquartered in Geneva, has made an appeal in that Swiss city to the international community not to remain passive, but to come to the aid of survivors of the recent earthquake in South Asia.

Fernández noted that more than 60,000 injured people need emergency medical assistance and millions of homeless people are being exposed to very cold temperatures in the region affected by the earthquake.

During his speech on October 26 at the Ministerial Conference of Donor Countries for assistance to communities affected by the quake, he affirmed that Cuba, a small, poor and blockaded country, has offered the Pakistani people the necessary human resources to undertake up to 20,000 surgical operations.

He explained that a group of 180 experienced Cubans specialists in surgery, trauma, general comprehensive medicine, intensive medicine and anesthesiology are currently in Pakistan, having taken with them in backpacks the necessary instruments, materials and medicines.

Cuba is disposed to send up to 800 such highly qualified professionals to Pakistan, and even more if necessary, Fernández said, adding that beyond those human resources, the country was preparing to set up three field hospitals with dozens of beds and hundreds of tents designed for winter temperatures.

The Cuban diplomat, however, acknowledged that no government or national authority could by itself provide short-term care for the needs of so many victims and affected people.

For that reason, he stated, negligent silence and inaction on the part those who have the resources and abilities to aid the victims is unpardonable, and predicted an enormous load on their consciences, and a burden of responsibility for the suffering and death or mutilation of thousands of children and young people who are currently centering their hopes on international solidarity.