Flood-hit Pakistan - 60 countries pitch in PTI

More than 60 countries have committed over $700 million in aid for Pakistan in contrary to belief that international community is not coming forward for the help of flood-affected people.

These countries would again be meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly session in New York next month to take stock of the situation.

“So far, over 60 nations have committed more than $ 700 million, including the $200 million (from the US),” Deputy Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Dan Feldman said.

India has contributed $ 5 million, which is being routed through the United Nations aid relief effort. The UN, which had called for $ 460 million aid, has received about two-third of it from the international community.

But as the crisis response moves from this relief phase to early recovery and then recovery and reconstruction phases, the US has calculated that the needs were going to be absolutely vast.

“We are going to continue to do our own assessments.

There’s also going to be ongoing assessments by the ADB, World Bank: damage and needs assessment. As we get more and more of that data, we will continue to work very actively with the international community to ensure that we try to meet those needs as best as possible,” he said.

Several countries of the world, he said, have come forward to provide helicopters.

“Afghanistan has provided four helicopters. Japan now has three helicopters on the ground, three more en route. The UAE has dispatched three helicopters as well as a C-130.

Turkey has contributed a C-130,” he said.

NATO has started flying missions to deliver food, relief supplies, using NATO-owned trainer cargo aircraft. NATO delivered 8 million metric tons of relief supplies donated by Slovakia last week.

“NATO’s now delivered - and this has been facilitated through German Government contributions and others. We continue to work closely with them to make sure that these relief supplies get there as quickly as possible,” he said.

“Notable contributions just over the last week, not only came from EU, Australia, Canada, Germany, but from other OIC members, Algeria, Jordan, Uzbekistan, all announced new contributions - China, Russia,” he said.

Deputy Director, at US Office of Foreign Assistance Carol Chan, said International relief organizations were beginning to expand, gradually moving to Sindh and Punjab from bases in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sindh is now becoming one of the major areas of greatest need, he said.

The Hindu