WB urges Pakistan :

Use flood aid responsibly

UN: The World Bank and the United States Sunday urged Pakistan to take steps to reassure donor countries that it is capable of using their flood aid responsibly and transparently and that it can enact reforms. Massive flooding in Pakistan began in late July and swept through the country, leaving an area almost the size of England under water.

The United Nations has said the floods affected more than 20 million people, damaged or destroyed nearly 1.9 million homes and killed 1,700 people. World Bank President Robert Zoellick told a high-level UN meeting on Pakistan that Islamabad would have to prove its ability to manage foreign aid ahead of an October meeting in Brussels to review a flood damage assessment report the World Bank and Asian Development Bank are preparing.

“To make most effective use of help and even to secure full donor support, the Government will need a reconstruction founded on transparency, accountability, flexibility, backed by law,” Zoellick said.

Reuters