very good point Asif, I completely agree.
now your intelligence has ME dumbfounded :P

hey guys ... it's qurbani/udhiya time so i thought i'd just mention that donating that amount to pakistan might be a good thing to do ...

Monetary help has reached more than the Pakistani goverment asked for although "some" aid are low interest loans news.bbc.co.uk

galaxy, u raise good points and I think those who are working/helping on the ground realise them ... there r lots of 'uknowns' when comes to the realities on the ground so the best that we (living miles away) can do is to help those who are helping on the ground ... for which monetary help is the best means ....

What needs to be done is evacuation as most of these earthquake affected victims live up in the mountains, no matter how much building materials they accumulate, they cannot build them fast enough to find shelter in the freezing winter that is upon them. They have to get their cultural reservation in the back burner for now and let people come and transport them to lower altitude via helicopters where they can spend the winter in a temp housing there. The focus should shift towards evacuation and building temp shelters for evacuees to pass the winter rather than try to send relief supplies in the areas where they need long term solution. How long will these relief supply will last? and how long can the relief workers/volunteers can provide them these supplies. Not only they will freeze to death if they don't have proper shelter but also die of starvation. We need building contractors to start building temp housing for them ASAP. Anyway, thats just my 2 cents.