The United Kingdom will provide a further £10 million support to Pakistan following devastating floods that have left a third of the country underwater, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced on Thursday.
According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the humanitarian support totalling £15 million from the UK will help provide shelter and essential supplies to people across the country. The flooding has affected more than 33 million people, with 1,100 lives lost. The latest funding announced by the foreign secretary comes after the UK provided £1.5 million to the disaster last weekend.
Following the launch of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Pakistan Floods Appeal on September 1, the UK government has announced it will match pound for pound the first £5 million of public donations, as part of Thursday’s total £15 million pledge.
FCDO said the rest of the UK funding of £10 million announced on Thursday will go to international aid agencies on the ground to help them respond to people’s immediate needs, including by providing water, sanitation, shelter, and protecting women and girls. It will also support families to repair their homes and maintain their livelihoods.
Liz Truss said that the UK stands with Pakistan, as tens of millions of people face devastating floods, which have left a third of the country an area roughly the size of the UK underwater. “As a major humanitarian donor, we will do all we can to get life-saving aid to the most vulnerable, including through this £15 million package of support,” she added.
Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, FCDO Minister of State for South and Central Asia, said “We are seeing first-hand the tragic effects of climate change and the impact it is having on millions of people across the country. The UK is working around the clock with the Pakistan authorities to determine what support is required in the short-term and longer-term.
“We are also working at pace with international organisations working directly on the ground to help victims of the disaster. These include the United Nations and World Bank. We will continue to work hand in hand with the international community to garner the best possible global support package for Pakistan to recover.”
Similarly, Manchester Gorton MP Afzal Khan in an open letter to his constituents lauded the British Pakistani community for supporting the relief efforts in Pakistan.
