The United States has vowed sustained support for Pakistan's flood recovery effort and urged the world community to step up its co-operation with the South Asian country in coping with the major international humanitarian disaster. As many as 30 US helicopters will now participate in the Pakistan flood relief effort.
Pakistan's ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani held meetings with senior American officials at the White House and State Department and also spoke to Pentagon officials on the need to provide air transportation support as monsoon rains and flooding continued to afflict people and property over unprecedented vast territories.
"President Obama has directed his Administration to stand with the Pakistani people and to assist them as they confront the worst flooding in Pakistan's history," White House National Security Adviser James Jones said. Knowing that continuing heavy monsoon rains over the next few days would only add to the challenges of this humanitarian crisis, the United States government has been rushing a wide range of assistance to the Pakistani people in close co-ordination with the Government of Pakistan, he noted in a statement.
"The United States government has provided an additional $35 million in financial aid to the $7.5 million that was already designated to assist people in the affected area, as well as food, shelter, medical supplies and other life sustaining items," Jones stated. This funding is being provided by the US Agency for International Development to establish international and Pakistani relief organisations with substantial experience on the ground in the affected areas, he added.
President Obama's top National Security Adviser said the US helicopters are supporting rescue efforts and have saved more than 1000 to date. "They and US military aircraft, including six US Army helicopters, will continue to work closely with our Pakistani allies to help evacuate stranded citizens and transport urgently needed supplies to hard hit areas."
"To further co-ordinate US relief efforts and to assist in the assessment of the immediate response and longer term recovery needs, we have deployed additional US personnel to work alongside Pakistani national and provincial disaster management officials," Jones, a former Marines general and Nato commander, said.
The size of this disaster requires a "concerted international effort" to support the Pakistani response plan and the following recovery effort, he said, acknowledging the mammoth task lying ahead. "The United States stands with the Pakistani authorities as they face the difficult challenges this natural disaster poses and will continue to work with the international community to increase assistance.
"In line with the deepening partnership between our two nations, the United States government will continue to assist the government of Pakistan in their response to this crisis, and to stand with the Pakistani people in this time of crisis.," he pledged. Meanwhile, US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan made an emphatic call for much bigger international support for Pakistan.
"This is very serious...but so far we have not raised this much money as we did for Swat (last year during the country's anti-militant campaign) and I am concerned that perhaps people think that it is just another one of the endless tragedies that Pakistan endures," Richard Holbrooke told journalists at the State Department.
"It is a major international humanitarian crisis. The world must rally just as we did for Pakistan in Swat last year and the earthquake five years ago (in 2005)," he said. Holbrooke and Pakistani Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani earlier discussed collaborative flood relief and recovery efforts, the envoy said. Haqqani is in contact now with Pentagon and the White House, he added.
"We are looking for ways to give additional helicopter support," Holbrooke said as Washington led the international assistance efforts for Pakistan. He said the Obama administration officials are in the process of extended meetings to mobilise the business community.
"We are focused, right now, on doing everything we can for Pakistan. And I stress to all of you that the water is still rising; it is still raining; the dams are in danger. This is not over. An earthquake happens, then you start rebuilding. This thing is still developing. And it is on top of the agenda of the Secretary of State (Hillary Clinton), and USAID chief Raj Shah and I and our colleagues and the Pentagon we are focused on," he stated.
Holbrooke urged Americans to donate to the relief effort by texting the word 'SWAT' from their cell phones to the number 50555. By saying yes when prompted each caller would be contributing $10 the relief money, which is to be administered to the flood victims by UN High Commission for Refugees.
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