Saturday, August 21, 2010

UN warns of unprecedented floods, disease, food shortages in Pakistan

UN PR - GHN Editor - On Friday 49 members of the General
Assembly of the UN spoke in support of assistance to Pakistan, as
flooding continues in the country that has been described as of Biblical
proportions.


The
General Assembly spent two days discussing the need for urgent
humanitarian assistance to flood-stricken Pakistan.  Countries were
asked to increase efforts to aid Pakistan to reach the United Nations
$460 million flash appeal.

The United Nations maintains it must " heed what was indeed a moral obligation to quickly address the unfolding human tragedy."

Because
of the desperate need in Pakistan the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have been increasing their
operations, according to representatives on behalf of these
organizations.

 The IFRC has revised its appeal in order to provide humanitarian aid to more than 900,000 people over an 18-month period.

"That
$73.6 million emergency appeal more than quadruple IFRC’s preliminary
appeal," IFRC spokespeople stated.   It went on to declare, "it would
support distribution of emergency food and non-food items, and emergency
shelter, as well as owner-driven reconstruction of houses, delivery of
health services, safe water, and adequate sanitation and hygiene
promotion, among other things."

For
its part, the Asian Development  Bank’s support for reconstruction over
the next two years would be at least $2 billion.  It also planned to
establish and administer a special trust fund to provide a vehicle for
other development partners to channel their contributions for
reconstruction support.

“We
cannot remain unaffected”, said India’s delegate, noting that the South
Asian region was prone to natural disasters and, throughout it, the
vagaries of nature continued to take a heavy tool of human lives.  While
the region was familiar with the human suffering that followed, the
destruction in Pakistan was unprecedented.

Indeed,
even some parts of India bordering Pakistan had been affected by the
floods.  “We share the pain and agony and fully understand the trauma
and suffering that our Pakistani brethren are living through,” he said.



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