PM Shehbaz Sharif says thankful to US for additional $30 million in aid for flood victims
ISLAMABAD, Oct 28 (SABAH): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed gratitude to the United States government for the announcement of an additional $30 million in humanitarian assistance for the flood victims of Pakistan.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said that with the start of winter, challenges of food, health, and shelter persist. The world should promptly contribute to the United Nations aid appeal to mitigate the impact of the tragedy, he said.
The United States on Thursday had announced an additional $30 million in aid for flood victims in Pakistan, according to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad. The press release said that total funding from the US for the flood response, food security, disaster preparedness, and capacity-building efforts in the country now amounted to $97m for the year.
US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome announced the additional funds during a trip to Shikarpur district where he helped distribute emergency shelters, latrines, and hygiene kits to flood affectees. The press release said the new funding will expand efforts to address immediate needs, scale up assistance to the most affected communities and enable the United States Agency for International Development to reach approximately 2m people.
“With the additional funding, the US government, through USAID, will provide life-saving food, nutrition, and health assistance to mitigate increased food insecurity and malnutrition resulting from the impact of the floods, as well as curb the rise of diseases resulting from stagnant flood waters.
“The new funding will also provide shelter supplies to help families rebuild as well as winterisation kits to help families prepare as cold weather approaches. And because women and girls are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters, like flooding, the US is providing increased protection support to prevent gender-based violence as well as provide support for survivors.