US announces $30mn aid for flood-ravaged Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) on Tuesday announced an additional $30 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance for Pakistan following severe rains and flooding.

“The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), today announced an additional $30 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance to support people and communities affected by severe flooding in Pakistan,” the US embassy in Islamabad announced in a statement.

Pakistan’s government has declared the floods a national emergency, with 66 districts declared to be “calamity hit”, said a press release issued by the US Embassy in Pakistan.

“In response to the Pakistani government’s request for assistance, the United States will prioritize urgently needed food support, safe water, sanitation and hygiene improvements, financial help, and shelter assistance,” the statement read.

The United States will continue to monitor the crisis in close coordination with local partners and Pakistani authorities, it added.

“The United States remains steadfast in its support for affected communities throughout Pakistan.”

In addition to the $30 million in urgently needed humanitarian assistance

announced today, the United States also provided over $1.1 million in grants and project support earlier this month to ensure direct assistance reaches those communities most impacted and to help mitigate and prevent the effects of future floods.

The US announcement of aid comes after the United Nations (UN) issued a flash appeal for $160 million to help Pakistan cope with catastrophic floods that have killed more than 1,100 people and affected 33 million people.

UN ISSUES FLASH APPEAL FOR $160 MILLION TO HELP PAKISTAN WITH FLOODS

“Pakistan is awash in suffering,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a video message for the launch of the appeal in Islamabad and Geneva.

He further said: “The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids – the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding.”

Antonio Guterres said the scale of needs, with millions of people forced from their homes, schools and health facilities destroyed and livelihoods shattered by the climate catastrophe, required the world’s collective and prioritised attention.