Flood aid: UK enhances financial assistance by £10 million to £26.5 million

The government of UK on Friday enhanced the size of flood aid by £10 million to £26.5 million aimed at fulfilling life-saving needs of the disaster-hit people including shelter, water and sanitation.

“The UK is providing further humanitarian support to Pakistan following the devastating floods that have killed over a thousand people and affected more than 33 million,” the government of UK said in a statement. “As part of a visit to the country, UK Minister of State for South Asia FCDO Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon announces a further £10 million of humanitarian aid, bringing the UK government’s total contribution to £26.5 million.”

According to the statement, the extra funding will be spent on urgent life-saving needs such as providing shelter, water and sanitation to prevent waterborne diseases. It will focus on supporting people who are still displaced and those that are returning to their land, by helping re-establish communal water supplies.

Germany scales up its support to flood-hit people

During his visit to Pakistan, Lord Ahmad will meet the prime minister, foreign minister and other government counterparts to discuss the impact of the floods, visit the areas most affected and speak with key UK-funded aid agencies on the ground in Sindh.

Quoting Lord Ahmad, the statement said that the UK will continue to help the people of Pakistan recover from the recent devastating floods.

“Our support will help to tackle the spread of waterborne diseases and to improve access to clean water, sanitation, medical care and shelter across the country,” Lord Ahmed said. “We are working night and day with Pakistan and our international partners to ensure that UK aid reaches the hardest hit areas.”

While supporting Pakistan’s urgent life-saving needs, the UK is also assisting the country in economic recovery and resilience against future climate disasters.

Germany announces additional €10mn aid for Pakistan’s flood victims

The UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme will help grow trade by giving duty-free access to 94% of goods exported from Pakistan to the UK, he said.

In addition to the UK’s £26.5 million donation in humanitarian funding, a UK Royal Air Force flight recently delivered 8 boats and 10 portable generators for use in flood relief operations, the statement pointed out.

The minister will also use this visit to raise the need for strong international support for Ukraine following Russia’s illegal annexation of sovereign territory, and reaffirm the strong people-to-people links between the UK and Pakistan in the context of the 75 year anniversary of Pakistan’s independence.

Citing figures released by the National Disaster Management Agency, the statement said the flooding has destroyed or damaged 2 million houses, with 546,000 people now living in relief camps.

“The disaster has also damaged 12,716 km of roads and 22,000 schools. In total, 745 health centres have been damaged or destroyed,” it said. “£21.5 million is going to the relief efforts in the areas worst-hit by the flooding. The remaining £5 million will go directly to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Pakistan Floods Appeal, after the UK government match funded pound for pound the first £5 million of DEC donations by the UK public.”

It also added that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are offering free relief shipments, in their cargo, of any aid goods being sent from the UK to Pakistan.

The DEC appeal has notably been supported by the England men’s cricket team, who were touring Pakistan for the T20s last month, with the team making a personal donation which was then matched by the England Cricket Board.

The UK pledged over £55 million to partner with Pakistan in order to fight climate change, manage water more sustainably and unlock climate investment in November 2021 during the COP26 Conference in Glasgow.