Flood relief: ADB 'working quickly to provide significant package' to Pakistan

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced on Tuesday that it is working on a relief package for Pakistan, currently battling devastation caused by unprecedented floods.

“Following the devastating floods in Pakistan, ADB is working quickly to provide a significant package of relief and rehabilitation,” it said in a series of tweets.

“The package is designed to support people, livelihoods, and infrastructure immediately.”

The upcoming relief package will be in addition to $3 million already approved by the ADB last month, for the immediate purchase of food, tents and other relief goods, said the international lender.

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The announcement comes as record monsoon rains in south and southwest Pakistan and glacial melt in northern areas triggered flooding that has impacted nearly 33 million people in the South Asian nation of 220 million, sweeping away homes, crops, bridges, roads and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion.

Scientists have said that the torrential monsoon, which submerged huge swathes of Pakistan, was a one-in-a-hundred-year event likely made more intense by climate change.

The ADB said in the short and medium term, it would use ongoing projects to repair damaged infrastructure, including roads and irrigation infrastructure; support the development and financial stability of the agriculture sector to boost food security.

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“We’re also processing countercyclical support to help the poor and vulnerable, especially women and children, weather the impacts of food prices and other external shocks,” it said.

The ADB added for the long-term, it would prioritize projects that support post-flood reconstruction and strengthen climate and disaster resilience.

“We will provide more details of our new assistance package when it is finalized," ADB said, adding it is closely working with the government and other international agencies to help “rebuild the lives and livelihoods of the more than 33 million people affected by the disaster”.

ADB's ongoing sovereign portfolio in Pakistan includes 48 loans and three grants worth of $8.42 billion.

According to the member fact sheet released by the ADB, in 2021, ADB’s loan and grant disbursements to Pakistan amounted to $1.31 billion, comprising $0.3 billion in program lending and $1.01 billion from project lending and $3 million from grants.

Last month, ADB approved a grant of $3 million to support the emergency relief efforts in Pakistan amid disastrous floods across the country.

In a statement then, the global lender had said the amount would be financed from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) and would help the government of Pakistan purchase food supplies, tents and other relief goods on an immediate basis to support flood victims across the country.