UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon formally called on the international community to help Pakistan respond to the humanitarian needs of around six million people in flood-hit areas.
“The secretary-general calls for solidarity of the international community in support of disaster management and risk reduction in Pakistan,” his office said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement followed Ban’s discussions with Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon on the worsening situation in Sindh and Balochistan, and his consultations with concerned UN officials.
In Sindh, the World Food Programme, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs completed the first joint assessment of the affected areas.
The rapid assessment was conducted in over 10,600 villages in 17 out of the 22 affected districts a week ago. The findings show that 73% of food crops have been inundated and food losses are estimated at 67%.
A UN official told The Express Tribune that VIP movement by politicians is also hampering relief work.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron called Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and said his country was ready to help the people affected by the devastating rains and floods in Sindh. APP
(With additional reporting by Maha Mussadaq in Islamabad)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2011.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmNyJapN5BY&feature=share
Evey Pakistani should watch this!
It's unfortunate that the victims of this flooding are going to be impacted by the Abbottabad fiasco and donors may ask why they should give money to the same corrupt/inept administration that didn't use it correctly last year.
"A UN official told The Express Tribune that VIP movement by politicians is also hampering relief work."
Unfortunately, most of those politicians just visit flooded areas for photo sessions, but do nothing on the ground. Let them rest in their own palaces; they are not going to provide any relief to the poor flood victims anyway.. and let UN workers help the victims.
The Secretary General of United Nation has appealed to International Community to help Pakistan, the thing is to be monitor that fund do not provide to the politicians and NGOs because when the hard time come they misused the fund and its does not reach to the sufferers of disasters their problems remain same the fund to be monitor by the United nation it self and aid must be distributed by the soldiers of Pak- Army so the real deserving may be facilitated.