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UN launches over $ 2 billion appeal for flood-hit Pakistan
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 18 (APP)- The United Nations and its partners on Friday launched an appeal for over US $ 2 billion—the largest ever—to provide aid for up to 14 million flood affected Pakistanis over a 12-month period. The appeal for $2,006,525,183 has 483 projects to be carried out by 15 United Nations bodies, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and 156 national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).The appeal folds in the earlier Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan of $459.7 million launched on Aug 11.The unprecendented floods in Pakistan have affected more than 20 million people—more than 10 per cent of the total population—devastating communities throughout the country, in an area of at least 160,000 square kilometres - larger than England. The floods killed more than 1,700 people, and damaged or destroyed nearly 1.9 million homes.
Pakistan’s development prospects may be disrupted for many years, a UN press statement said. "The damage to the economic infrastructure and livelihoods is immense. Irrigation, drainage and storage facilities are badly affected. Farmers who lost their crops and who are not able to plant their fields by November are likely to remain dependent on aid until well into 2012. Hundreds of thousands more lost their shops or other small businesses.”
“We are seeing the equivalent of a new disaster every few days in Pakistan”, said Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
“Yesterday, new breaches of the embankments of Manchhar Lake in Sindh flooded more villages. Millions of people have lost everything. Our task is to give people the help they need”, she added.
The appeal seeks funding for the following main sectors: agriculture; camp coordination and management; community restoration; coordination; education; food; health; logistics; nutrition; protection; shelter; and water, sanitation and hygiene.
The initial appeal of $459 million is now 80% funded, making the unmet requirements for this emergency $1.6 billion. The size of the revised appeal reflects the enormous human and geographic scale of the catastrophe, and the necessity of putting into place the right kind of early recovery, including projects in agriculture, community restoration, education, health and shelter, the statement said.
“In these difficult financial times, countries have been extremely generous in helping those in need around the world, contributing over $5 billion to appeals this year”, said Ms. Amos. “But more is now needed. The Government and the people of Pakistan have already done much to help families affected by these floods. We must also do our part - 0we simply cannot stand by and watch the immense suffering in a disaster of this scale,” she added.
Previously, the largest natural disaster appeal was issued earlier this year for Haiti, which sought $1,488, 095,210. This year, over $11 billion arwe required for humanitarian appeals worldwide, the largest amount sought since the beginning of the appeal process in 1991.Courtesy www.app.com.pk