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Haqqani urges flood help in Western US; says church aid symbolizes joint effort by faiths
SALT LAKE CITY (Utah), Sept. 15 (APP): Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani has urged sustained help for Pakistan’s flood recovery and thanked the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints here for sending relief assistance worth $ 3 million for victims of the epic natural disaster.Haqqani, who flew into capital of the Western American state, met President of the church Thomas Monson and praised its work in support of suffering humanity as an inspiring example for others.“It (aid for flood victims) symbolizes the fact that the people of all faiths can work together and need to strengthen each other in times of humanitarian crisis,” the diplomat noted at a Press conference following his meeting with the LDS leaders.The church has partnered with known aid organizations including International Relief and Development, the International Medical Corps and Islamic Relief USA to distribute 400,000 pounds of essential supplies for flood victims including food, blankets, medical and school items.
In terms of Pakistan-U.S. ties, Haqqani remarked that the church aid gesture means that “the people of faith in the United States respect the people of Pakistan as fellow humans, irrespective of differences of faith.”
The envoy described his meeting with the LDS Church leadership as useful and indicated continued cooperation toward relief of flood affectees including the possibility of an additional field hospital and constant flow of food items, water purification help and medical supplies.
He also appreciated the U.S. administration and corporate sector’s help for Pakistan’s daunting rescue and relief mission over one fourth of the country’s land - including huge swathes of farmland - inundated by monsoon floods.
Underscoring the plight of more than 20 million afflicted people and a combination of challenges confronting his South Asian nation, Ambassador Haqqani drew attention to the need for continued American assistance through various stages of recovery.
“Of the 20 million affected, eight million are children, 800,000 to a million are expecting mothers ---- the needs ae far greater,” the ambssador emphasized, saying he has traveled to the region to appeal to the people of Utah and other Western states to keep up their tradition of aid-giving generosity and concern in the face of humanitarian catastrophes.
He illustrated the extent of economic toll by saying 43 brigdes linking Swat - a valley cleared by Pakistan army of Taliban militants - have been washed away. On the agricultural side, he said, farmers have lost staple food and cotton crops, livestock and even seeds for sowing new crops.
“For a country that is in the frontline of fighting terrorism, a country that has already sacrificed a lot in ensuring that another 9/11 does not happen ---- our forces are stretched --- (as) we are (also) dealing with a natural calamity of gigantic proportions.”
Haqqani observed the international relief effort had been slow at the start owing to a series of factors like lack of reporting on the actual human suffering in parts of the media and relatively lower death toll from floods compared with some other recent natural calamities. But he told the local media that the economic losses and scale of the flooding disaster have been much bigger than those of 2005 earthquake, the Asian tsunami and the recent Haitian temblor combined.
Lynn Samsel, LDS director of humanitarian response, noted on the occasion the “great damage and destruction” triggered by the flooding in Pakistan, saying it has left millions of people vulnerable. The church, he said, remains grateful to thousands of contributors to its aid effort in this time of the tragedy.
“As President (Thomas) Monson has said striving together, we can feed the children, we can provide homes and we can preserve life,” he added.
Courtesy www.app.com.pk