More aid flows into Pakistan

Aid in the form of funds, medicines, soldiers, and other facilities, continues to come into Pakistan.


Agencies August 26, 2010

US Army Brigadier General Michael Nagata on Thursday told the mediathat US military contribution in Pakistan’s northern area, which includes the Upper Dir, Swat Valley and Kohistan regions, currently includes 230 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and 19 helicopters.

Four Air Force and Marine Corps C-130 cargo planes are delivering supplies in other areas of Pakistan, Nagata said.

Commenting on the reaction of Pakistani civilians to US forces working in their country, Nagata said, “They’re grateful. I’ve seen many occasions where they’ve approached US and Pakistani military members to express their thanks.”

He said the Pakistani military has shown tremendous cooperation, support, and friendship toward the US forces in providing flood relief in northern Pakistan.

“The collaboration, the cooperation, the support, the protection, and the friendship, and I use that word very deliberately, extended to us by our Pakistani partners has been nothing but impressive,” said Nagata. “This is one of the best examples of combined collaborations among military partners that I’ve ever seen,” Nagata said.

Working out of a large hangar and two other sites in northern Pakistan, the aircraft and crews are mostly delivering bulk food items, such as flour and rice, as well as cooking utensils and potable water systems among other things, Nagata informed.

$500,000 reaches flood victims

AmeriCares has delivered more than $500,000 to the flood affected areas of Pakistan, and is continuing to deliver critical medicines, medical supplies and other lifesaving aid to flood victims.

AmeriCares is a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs

"Since 1990, we have delivered nearly $57 million in assistance to the people of Pakistan. But as the situation in Pakistan becomes worse and worse, more sustained effort is required to minimize the destruction, disease and loss of life," said an AmeriCares official on Thursday.

Japan gives more

The Government of Japan on Thursday dispatched a Japan Disaster Relief Team to operate six helicopters of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) including CH-47 and UH-1 to conduct rescue and transport activities in Pakistan.

Japan has so far extended approximately $ 14.6 million emergency grant assistance and relief goods for those affected by the floods.

China sends mobile Hospital

In continuation with the flood relief assistance being provided by China to Pakistan, a medical team comprising 60 doctors and paramedics, left for Pakistan on Thursday.

The team is took along a mobile hospital for providing immediate relief to the people, said a press release received from Beijing, China.

Egypt sends more relief goods

Three C-130 aircrafts of relief goods from Egypt arrived in Pakistan on Thursday.

The Egyptian government has decided to send another three C-130 Cargo planes containing humanitarian assistance soon.

According to press release this assistance consists of tents, medicines and dry food items.

Each cargo plane that shall arrive consecutively on coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the embassy of Arab Republic of Egypt is coordinating with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to hand over the assistance.

18 million Turkish liras collected for Pakistan

Turkish Exporters' Assembly and the Turkish Red Crescent signed a protocol in Ankara to launch an aid campaign for Pakistan.

TIM chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi said that exporter unions have started the campaign by donating one million Turkish liras.

Buyukeksi said, adding "we are calling on our exporters and businessmen to join this campaign, we will send 200 tonnes of food stuff. This is only the first step, the campaign will continue."

Turkish authority said on Wednesday that some 18 million Turkish liras have been collected in bank accounts within the scope of an aid campaign aiming at helping flood-hit Pakistan.

Right after the disaster, Turkey had sent eight cargo planes full of nearly 244 tons of medicine, food, clothing, two mobile hospitals and 40 medical personnel to Pakistan.

COMMENTS (4)

vinod | 13 years ago | Reply VATICAN CITY: Christians affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan face “systematic discrimination” in the distribution of aid, the news agency of a Vatican missionary body reported Thursday. The Fides news agency, a branch of the Vatican's Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, said aid was handled either by Muslim relief organisations or by government officials close to fundamentalists. Both discriminated against Christians and other minorities in distributing aid essential to survival, it said. About 200,000 Christian refugees in the Punjab province and about 600,000 Christians and Hindus in the Sindh province are affected by the phenomenon, Fides said, citing NGO sources on the ground. “The Christian refugees are often ignored. They are purposely not identified and registered. Thus, they are automatically excluded from any health care or food, as they supposedly do not exist,” said a local NGO worker cited by Fides. Torrential monsoon rains triggered massive floods in a fifth of the volatile country, an area roughly the size of England. The catastrophe has affected more than 17 million people and left eight million dependent on aid to survive. The Pakistani government has confirmed that 1,600 people have been killed and 2,366 hurt, but officials warn that millions are at risk from diseases and food shortages. -AFP
Tilsim | 13 years ago | Reply My suggestion to Express Tribune would be to run a daily page on the actual help and pledges from individual nations' people and governments (or links to the relevant stories) in whatever shape they may take. This way Pakistanis can see who is helping us and how how quickly (and who is not..). Some nations are contributing to the UN too. In contrast the Taliban are threatening to kill foreign aid workers. Hope some Pakistanis don't stay sleeping having a soft corner for the barbaric Taliban.
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