ISLAMABAD: The United States on Friday announced an additional $20 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people affected by severe flooding in Pakistan, making the country as the leading contributor so far with a total of $50.1 million pledged.
The announcement was made by the USAID Administrator, Samantha Power, along with US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome at a news conference.
In a tweet, the US Embassy here stated: “The United States is steadfast in our support to the people and communities suffering from the severe flooding in Pakistan. We are now committing a total of $53.1 million in USAID funds, with $50.1 million going to urgent flood relief & $3 million to bolster disaster resilience.”
The USAID administrator, who is visiting Pakistan in the wake of the devastating floods, announced that the United States, through the USAID, is providing an additional $20 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people affected by severe flooding in Pakistan resulting from heavy monsoon rains, as well as landslides and glacial lake outbursts, that have been ongoing since June.
She said that the impact of these floods has been felt widely across Pakistan, adding that an estimated 33 million people have been affected, nearly 1,400 have died, and more than 12,700 have been injured.
She added that infrastructure in the flooding path has been decimated, with more than 1.7 million homes, an estimated 13.8 million acres of cropland, thousands of miles of road and hundreds of bridges damaged or destroyed.
“This support builds on an announcement last week of $30 million in humanitarian assistance to help the people of Pakistan affected by these devastating floods. Since August 12, the United States has provided over $50.1 million in disaster assistance to help the people of Pakistan,” she said.
With these additional funds, she added that the USAID partners will continue to provide emergency relief supplies, multi-purpose cash and shelter assistance, support for livelihoods, logistics, and humanitarian response coordination systems. She added that the USAID will also prioritize water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) assistance as a preventative measure to mitigate the anticipated spread of waterborne diseases.
She also pointed out that USAID has also deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to lead the US government’s humanitarian response efforts in Pakistan. “This elite team, composed of disaster experts from USAID, is assessing the damage, identifying priority needs, and coordinating with the Government of Pakistan and humanitarian partners,” she stated, adding that the United States is the single largest humanitarian donor to Pakistan.
“The United States is deeply saddened for the flood victims and the loss of loved ones, livelihoods, and homes throughout Pakistan. We stand with communities in Pakistan during this difficult time and will continue to help them in this time of need,” she added.
She pointed out that as per the initial estimates provided by the government of Pakistan, the floods have caused over US$ 12 billion losses to the country’s economy. What it means when one-third of the country is under the floods?” she asked, adding that there is a need for the international community to come forward for providing more assistance to Pakistan as the disaster is closely linked to the climate change.
She said that the USAID is also partnering with the community leaders and farmers to support the farming sector of the country which has been destroyed due to the floods. She further stated that the USAID would also be helping to rebuild 100 schools in the flood-hit areas.
To a question about the next phase of reconstruction and rehabilitation, she said that the USAID would be assessing as to how it can contribute more during the next phase of reconstruction and rehabilitation.
She also stated that the United States Central Command, in support of the USAID has begun airlifting life-saving humanitarian supplies to support people and communities affected by ongoing, severe flooding in Pakistan.
The supplies include nearly $2.2 million worth of essential life support resources, including food preparation and shelter materials, which will be delivered over the course of the coming days in approximately 20 different shipments around the country.
She said that the United States remains deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the catastrophic flooding throughout Pakistan, adding that the humanitarian donations are prioritising urgently-needed food, nutrition, multi-purpose cash, safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene, and shelter assistance.
She said that the support will save lives and reduce suffering among the most vulnerable affected communities. “The United States will continue to monitor the crisis in close coordination with local partners and Pakistani authorities,” she added. She said that the US support for the people of Pakistan is unwavering. Our emergency flood relief aid and supplies are a continuation of decades of US assistance to Pakistan, including programs designed to help prepare for and mitigate the effects of natural hazards. These programs have included training on early warning systems, capacity building for community leaders and government of Pakistan disaster management authorities, and restoring livelihoods to improve food, nutrition, and economic security, including $3 million in support this year prior to the floods. Moreover, schools re-constructed with U.S. support following the 2010 floods are now serving as shelters for the communities affected by the devastation, she added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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