Sindh floods: Zardari appeals to the UN for assistance

Requests UN secretary-general to mobilise world community for urgent relief.

ISLAMABAD:

President Asif Ali Zardari has launched an international appeal to provide assistance for the millions of people affected by this year’s floods triggered by torrential rains in the country.

With the new spell of monsoon in southern Sindh, hundreds of people have lost their lives and over five million have been displaced. According to official data, over four million acres of land has been inundated; 2.5 million acres of crops have been destroyed and over a million houses have been damaged or washed away.

The president on Thursday appealed to the international community for humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance. He also requested UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to mobilise the international community for urgently needed relief assistance in wake of the devastation left by the floods.

“President Asif Zardari talked to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon by telephone today and requested him to issue an international appeal for assistance to the flood-affected people,” presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP. He said Zardari visited his native Nawabshah and other flood-affected towns to review the relief work before speaking from Karachi with the UN chief.

A team of UN agencies is currently visiting the affected areas for a needs assessment. Zardari has also appealed to the people of Pakistan, including the expatriate community, to make generous contributions and assist in the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts for millions of their compatriots affected by this natural calamity.

Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Zafar Iqbal Qadir had earlier stated that NDMA, PDMA and district authorities, with the support of collaborative partners such as UN and other agencies, would assess the damages first to determine the needs of the victims.

Qadir said that Pakistan has the capacity and enough funds to deal with the disaster; however if the magnitude of the disaster is huge, the need to launch an international appeal may arise.

With a forecast of more rains, even in areas of Sindh where water is stagnant are expected to face more floods adding to the damage and cost.

In the wake of the severity and scale of this natural disaster, urgent humanitarian assistance is required to save lives and continue rescue operations. The most pressing requirements at the moment are for tents, aqua tablets, water purification equipment, food supplies, de-watering pumps and medicines. (Additional input from AFP)

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th,  2011.