Sir, The huge earthquake that has struck Pakistan, India and Kashmir is a cruel challenge to a region with problems enough. Just as the earthquake itself was no respecter of borders, whether disputed or not, so the humanitarian initiative to bring aid to the victims should not be affected by political rivalries. If the Indian and Pakistani governments can unite in dealing with this tragedy and work together to mitigate the consequences, then they will each draw on a valuable fund of goodwill and mutual trust which could prove constructive in future negotiations.

No one should forget similar opportunities taken or lost after the devastating tsunami last December. In Sri Lanka, the Government and the Tamils did not draw together to aid the devastated communities. As a result of this failure, a decades-old conflict rumbles on, fuelled by anger over distribution of international aid.

In Indonesia, the Government did seize the opportunity to work with the rebels in Aceh to tackle the horrific consequences of the tsunami. That co-operation, and suspension of hostilities between rebels and government, led to peace talks and an agreement which would have been unimaginable before the tsunami struck.

Pervez Musharraf, the President of Pakistan, has described the earthquake as “a test for the nation”.

It is to be hoped that it will be much more than that. It must be a test for all the people of Pakistan, India and Kashmir to see if they can put their common humanity above their pride and their politics. It will be a true inspiration if they succeed in doing so.

FAREED CHEEMA
Parkersburg, West Virginia

From Mr Patrick Phillips, QC

Sir, In the months before he died, the aid worker Robin Needham (obituary, January 10) was pounding the corridors of power on both sides of the Atlantic. His vision, for which he was seeking support, was of a super aid agency, which could respond quickly and massively to any major disaster. Governments were listening but action there has been none.

The need for such an agency, well equipped, able to call on the resources of all countries and on permanent standby is surely obvious. It has been demonstrated by the Asian tsunami, in which Robin Needham lost his life, and by famines in Africa, the hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Stan and now the earthquake in Kashmir.

Film crews seem able to get to all these disasters long before effective relief or aid. Even in the US film crews could show bodies, lying in the streets of New Orleans, which were for days unclaimed. Surely it is not beyond the wit of man to devise a scheme whereby effective aid arrives first.

The wealthy countries of the world must be provoked to fund a non-bureaucratic, supranational, areligious and effective emergency aid agency.

PATRICK PHILLIPS
Long Melford, Suffolk

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