Iran quake survivors battle cold

The survivors are suffering from cold and grief

Tens of thousands of people in the southern Iranian city of Bam have spent their fifth night in the cold, after Friday's devastating earthquake.

Up to 50,000 people are feared dead in the quake, which destroyed 90% of the buildings in the ancient city.

Many survivors are still living amid the debris of their former homes, huddled around small fires.

A massive relief effort is under way, with more than 40 countries sending aid supplies and experts.

About 80 American doctors have joined the aid effort despite years of deep hostility between Washington and Tehran.

Two children from my family survived the earthquake, but they died while on the street Bam resident Tell us your experiences

A US team has arrived in the area to help the next phase of the relief operation.

On Wednesday the team is to start setting up a field hospital - the first to operate since Bam's two hospitals were flattened in the earthquake.

This is the first official US mission in Iran since the siege of the US embassy after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Priority

Nearly $500m has been pledged by dozens of countries. But the immediate challenges are huge.

EMERGENCY AID Aid agencies say disaster victims need at least: Shelter: 3.5 square metres Water: 7 litres/day Food: 2,100 kilocalories/day Guide: Humanitarian basics How you can help

Some children have died from exposure since the tremor.

"Two children from my family, 12 and 13-years-old, survived the earthquake, but they died while on the street," a resident told Reuters news agency.

"It's very cold and we don't have any equipment for cooking," said another, standing outside her home.

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has called on donor countries to send temporary housing.

Aid workers say basic items like shoes, clothes and cooking utensils are also a priority.

No politics

President Mohammad Khatami welcomed the US aid - but insisted it would not alter relations between the two countries.

"This has got nothing to do with political issues," he said on Tuesday.

WORST QUAKE SINCE 1990 21 June 1990: 40,000 killed in Gilan, Iran 7 December 1988: 25,000 killed in north-west Armenia 28 July 1976: 500,000 killed in Tangshan, China Tough questions Earthquake timeline

"These are doctors. They are not Mr Bush or Mr Rumsfeld coming to kill us," Deputy Health Minister Mohammad Akbari said, referring to the US president and his defence minister.

"This is not help from Mr Bush. This is help from humanitarian people."

Nearly 30,000 bodies have been pulled from the rubble, but the number of dead seems set to be much higher.

The final figure may never be known as entire families have died and there is no-one left to register them as missing.

"If we consider that, on average, five people lived in each house we can say the death toll will reach 50,000," one Iranian official told Reuters news agency

However, President Khatami told reporters he believed the number of dead was not quite as high, and would be about 40,000.

He pledged to rebuild Bam's 2,000-year-old citadel "whatever the cost", pledging to rebuild the city within two years.