Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday sought assistance from the United Nations (UN) in developing a flood forecasting and early weather warning system for Pakistan before the monsoon season.
Talking to Rauf Engin Soysal, special envoy of the UN Secretary-General for assistance to Pakistan at the Prime Minister House, Gilani appreciated the UN’s support and the envoy’ s work for flood victims in the country.
Gilani hoped that as Pakistan moves from the early recovery phase to the medium and long term
construction and development phase, the UN will undertake an impact assessment of the international assistance routed through UN agencies.
Ambassador Soysal briefed the prime minister about his meetings early in the month with the UN secretary-general, the executive-director of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in New York and the United States administration officials in Washington. He also apprised Gilani about his efforts to generate funding for the early recovery phase of Pakistan’s flood-affected areas. He said against the UN appeal, donor countries
have committed around 67 per cent of the required amount out of which 40 per cent has been disbursed in the relief and early recovery phases.
Ambassador Soysal agreed with the prime minister on the need for reinvigorating the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP), implementation of the Malakand Development Strategy and the establishment of an early flood forecasting and weather warning system as genuine needs.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2011.
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