News
Thursday, September 02, 2010
British deputy PM brings lifesaving aid for flood victims
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: British Deputy Prime Minister Nicholas William Clegg on Wednesday announced more emergency lifesaving aid for the flood-affected people, as the coming weeks would be critical for the millions of displaced.
He said this after attending a joint briefing along with President Asif Ali Zardari near Sukkur airport.
Clegg is on a visit to the worst affected areas by the flood, ahead of attending the Millennium Development Goals summit in New York. The British deputy PM also visited a World Food Programme storehouse and met with Oxfam, Save the Children, and other United Nation and aid agencies.
The UK government would allocate £9 million to Save the Children and Oxfam to provide and distribute aid items, announced Clegg. The money comes from the £33 million announced by British Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell at the UN in New York on August 19.
The aid to be targeted at Punjab and Sindh, includes 2,330 water pumps, private bathing facilities, emergency shelter kits for around 30,500 families, hygiene kits for about 75,000 families, 650 new-born baby kits containing baby vests, baby shampoo and soap, baby blankets amongst other things.
Over the last few days, two UK Royal Air Force (RAF) planes have delivered more emergency shelter for 3,500 families in the south of Pakistan.
The British government has committed £64 million to help people in Pakistan affected by the floods. In addition, the UK public has donated £42 million from their own pockets to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk