Tom Swazi (left) and Sheila Jackson Lee – The News International
US Delegation Led by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Visits Flood-affected Areas
Islamabad: In the midst of Pakistan’s flood devastation, a five-member delegation from the United States led by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee visited flood-affected areas on Sunday to assess the rescue and recovery efforts, according to media reports.
The delegation, which also included the US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, visited the Dadu district in Sindh province and reviewed the flood situation on the ground and during an aerial view of the area, reported the country’s local media outlet ARY News.
The US congresswoman also met flood victims and distributed gifts among them. Members of the United States Congress Sheila Jackson and Tom Suozzi had left for a two-day visit to the flood-affected Pakistan on Saturday in a bid to show solidarity with the victims and the Pakistani government.
The US Congress members arrived in the country on Sunday and visited flood-hit areas in Sindh, during their stay in the country. Before departing for the country, Jackson stated in a press conference that they would visit flood-damaged areas and will take “all possible steps” to help the flood victims.
Taking to Twitter, the US lawmaker said, “The flooding devastation in Pakistan is catastrophic with over 30 million people impacted. It’s urgent that the United States offers to help with possible airlifts of food and necessities to isolated and starving people.”
“We can’t wait, more people will die. As chair of the Pakistan caucus, the Caucus will work with our colleagues to push for major continuing aid. Now is the time for relief,” Jackson added.
Meanwhile, the Commander of US Central Command General Michael Erik Kurilla expressed grief over the fatalities and the losses inflicted by the catastrophic floods.
Additional USD 30 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance
Notably, the United States on Tuesday announced an additional USD 30 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance to support people and communities affected by severe flooding in Pakistan.
The US embassy in Pakistan said this support will save lives and reduce suffering among the most vulnerable affected communities. According to the statement, the United States will continue to monitor the crisis in coordination with local partners and Pakistani authorities.
In addition to the USD 30 million in urgently needed humanitarian assistance, the United States also provided over USD 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.
One-third of Pakistan is submerged
According to satellite images from the European Space Agency (ESA), more than one-third of Pakistan is submerged amid its worst floods in history.
As deadly floodwaters threaten to create secondary disasters, food is in short supply after water covered millions of acres of crops and wiped out hundreds of thousands of livestock.
More than 1,100 people have died from the floods since mid-June, nearly 400 of them children, while millions have been displaced, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). - Firstpost
