Ursula von der Leyen promises new humanitarian aid for flood-hit Pakistan

NEW YORK, Sep 22 (SABAH): President of the European Union (EU) Commission Ursula von der Leyen met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York and announced “new humanitarian aid” in the coming weeks for flood-ravaged Pakistan.

During the meeting, the former German defence minister who now heads the EU commission expressed sorrow over the destruction and loss of life due to the unprecedented flooding in the country.

“The EU Commission is with you. We will come forward with new humanitarian aid in the coming weeks, to support the people of Pakistan,” she said in a tweet after meeting with the premier.

The raging floods have affected over 33 million of the country’s approximately 220 million people, causing a staggering loss of over $40 billion in damages to an already weakened infrastructure.

The death toll due to floods has risen to 1,569 since mid-June, according to the country’s National Disaster Management Authority’s latest data.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also thanked US President Joe Biden for highlighting the plight of flood victims in Pakistan during his address at the UN General Assembly session in New York.

The premier expressed gratitude in a tweet and thanked Biden for urging the world for an immediate response to help the flood affectees.

“Thank you President Joe Biden for highlighting the plight of the flood victims in Pakistan and urging the world for an immediate response, as my country is facing the ravages of unprecedented floods. The calls of stranded women & children for help need to be heeded to,” Shehbaz said in the tweet.

The prime minister is currently on a visit to the United States to represent Pakistan in the 77th session of the UNGA. Earlier, Biden made a fervent pitch for extending help to Pakistan where floods had caused huge devastation in his address to the UN General Assembly, as he announced over $2.9 billion in new assistance to address global food insecurity.

The US president was confronting no shortage of difficult issues as leaders gathered this year. The president addressed the 193-member assembly during its high-level debate when he dealt with the adverse impacts of climate change.