US announces additional $2m for flood-hit areas

The United States has announced an additional $2 million for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) flood response efforts in Pakistan, according to a Radio Pakistan report.

In a statement issued on Monday, US Ambassador Donald Blome said that the humanitarian assistance will include lifesaving items for flood-affected Pakistanis and Afghan refugees in three provinces. “The United States’ contribution demonstrates a continued commitment to the solidarity and responsibility sharing with Pakistan which is among the world’s largest hosts of refugees,” he said. Meanwhile, the UNHCR Representative to Pakistan, Noriko Yoshida welcomed the generous contribution.

In response to flooding, UNHCR is on the ground distributing life-saving support in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan for Afghan refugees while also rushing relief including emergency shelter, hygiene items, mosquito nets, solar lanterns and blankets to flood-hit areas in southern Sindh province, the agency said in a statement. Moreover, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Red Crescent has expanded its fieldwork in flood-hit southern Pakistan by building group camps for displaced families, the UAE embassy in Pakistan said.

Deadly floods, brought on by torrential monsoon rains, have affected 33 million Pakistanis, inflicted billions of dollars in damage, and killed over 1,500 people since mid-June.

The deluges have forced hundreds of thousands out of homes, who have been forced to stay under the open sky, and brave hunger and diseases. “The UAE Red Crescent expands its field relief work in Sindh region and starts building collective group camps for the displaced families from floods affected areas,” the UAE embassy said on Twitter.

“These projects included major essential services such as shelter, water, sanitation, food and families empowerment.”

The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, has been leading humanitarian relief efforts in Pakistan since the deluges wreaked havoc in the South Asian country. Separately, Zonergy Corporation, a longstanding partner of Pakistan in solar power generation donated RMB100,000 to support the relief and rehabilitation efforts for the flood-hit people in Pakistan. Zonergy Executive Vice President Kevin Chang Bin Qiu presented the cheque to Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moin Ul Haque at a ceremony held at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing.

Sharing his grief and condolences with the bereaved families, Vice President Kevin said his company will continue to support the people of Pakistan in this difficult time.