ISLAMABAD, Oct. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf Sunday renewed appeal for the United Nations and international organizations to donate more as Pakistan is facing a national calamity and need help.

    "I take this opportunity to appeal to the United Nations and all other international organizations to donate generously. We are facing a national calamity and need all the help that we can get," he said in a message on the occasion of World Food Day which falls on Oct. 16.

    He thanked the international community and the UN agencies which within no time have provided assistance to Pakistan.

    Musharraf said the massive earthquake which struck Pakistan on Oct. 8 is the most devastating in the country's history. It has caused immense loss of lives and property in the remote and inaccessible hilly areas of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

    The confirmed death toll in Pakistan has reached 39,422 as of Sunday and up to 65,038 people were injured in the quake.

    "We require colossal finances for reconstruction efforts, we need international assistance, we also need assistance in the form of pre-fabricated houses, schools, colleges, hospitals so that we can erect them quickly and bring life back to normal," Musharraf said Saturday.

    However, the President said, the country has not yet ascertained the exact amount of financial assistance it would require in the mammoth task of rebuilding widespread damage in an area, that sprawls over 20,000 sq kms.

    He said as many as 32 countries have extended relief assistance to his country and expressed his gratitude to the international community for responding urgently to the catastrophe.

    President Musharraf said Pakistan is importing tents from other countries and the international community can also extend assistance in providing tents and blankets for the quake-affected people as winter sets in.     

    PM SAYS RECONSTRUCTION AND REHABILITATION TAKE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS

    Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said here Saturday the initial estimates indicate that Pakistan will require at least 5 billion US dollars for the reconstruction and rehabilitation work in areas devastated by the earthquake.

    "The death toll has crossed 38,000 with over 62,000 injured and these figures may rise," said the prime minister.

    The prime minister said the relief and rescue work was going on at a fast pace in the areas hit by the Oct. 8 earthquake, which has been described as "bigger than Tsunami in terms of devastation of infrastructure and property" by the UN Disaster Relief Agency.

    "In my view it will take some five years to reconstruct and rehabilitate the areas hit and damaged by the earthquake."

    He said, with two divisions of army moved into the quake-hit areas, in addition to the already deployed troops, a total of 58 helicopters including 18 from friendly countries were engaged in the relief and rescue work.

    Another 24 helicopters are needed to cope with the requirements of rescue and relief work, as the destruction of small roads particularly in the mountainous areas was hampering the supply of relief goods to the people trapped in the villages on hilltops.

    He said the people from within and outside Pakistan are generously contributing to the relief fund, with around 500 million dollars already pledged by friendly countries and over 3 billion rupees (50 million US dollars) donated by the people from across Pakistan.

    The prime minister said there was a dire of need for tents, blankets and medicines in the quake-hit areas, as the winter season has already started with the first snowfall occurred on the hilltops during the last 48 hours.