"The job is colossal but there is a feeling that this is a doable job," UN Emergency Co-ordinator Jan Vandemoortele said. "It is not mission impossible. The job can be done and to get it done we need two things, cash and co-ordination," Vandemoortele told a news conference.
Just two weeks after the massive October 8 earthquake that killed more than 73,000 people in Pakistan, aid officials were in a desperate situation in trying to reach survivors but things had improved in the past fortnight, he said.
"Perhaps for the first time since October 8 there is a sense of cautious optimism in the humanitarian community," he added. Though cash-strapped, the UN was racing against time to save survivors from the bitter cold in the mountains of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and NWFP.
"We see that the pipeline is gradually becoming a reality in terms of money and in terms of deliverables - the tents, the blankets, the slates for the latrines," Vandemoortele said. "It is moving. And if we can keep the momentum, and there is no reason that we should not be able to keep momentum on our side, we will be ready for the winter," he said.
"We are confident that we will be able to continue our operation because resources are coming on a daily basis. We are also drawing from the UN revolving fund and we have clearly looked on our logistics needs because it was a big-ticket item on our flash appeal.
"And the news that we just heard about the roads being opened has a major impact on the requirements in terms of dollars to keep these operations going."
On the cash side a total of $1.4 billion has been pledged to Pakistan and $380 million of that has been handed over so far, he said. Some $85 million has come through the UN. "Our objective is to keep people alive," he said.
Vandemoortele said at least an additional $42.6 million would be required in November, the critical month before the harsh winter sets in. Shelter was one of the top five priorities, followed by camp management, heating, sanitation, food and seed distribution, he said.