US sends aid to Pakistan flood victims
Food aid is targeted at nearly 350,000 Pakistanis, while Washington hopes the medical assistance can reach "about 500,000," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
The United States will also send tents and other non-food items in response to a request for assistance launched by Pakistan last week, she said.
(Read: Gilani appeals to world community for help)
Pakistan has now seen vast swathes of farmland inundated for a second year in the southern province of Sindh, the nation's breadbasket.
One official said the situation there was even worse than last year, when 21 million people were flood-hit.
"So far, 209 people have been killed and 5.3 million affected," Zafar Qadir, head of Pakistan's disaster management authority, told reporters.
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@Ahmed: @Was A Pakistani: @hasan: If US wants to help Pakistan, it should not provide few shelters to the Flood victims, but pay for the construction of the highways from Karachi to Chaman via Quetta and Karachi to Torkham via Peshawer which has been dilapidated by the ISAF logistic traffic. The cost of construction of these highways(4 lanes 2500 Kilometers) are now being paid by the tax payers of Pakistan. Highways are just one subject!!! It is simple calculation and cost can be calculated by any civil engineer. We are not against the war on terror. But USA and international community must pay for the damages.
@John B: thank you - please also check out www.muslimsforlife.org to see the efforts being made in the USA to remember those that passed away on 9/11
@MarkH: please check out www.muslimsforlife.org in regards to those killed in 9/11 being remembered by muslims in a positive way
American aid has always been kosher, as long as it was used for military purposes. When it comes to helping poor Pakistanis the Ghairat Brigade does not want them to be helped. Why would they not demand an end to the military aid and only civilian aid in the form of goods? Nobody is forcing aid to the well to do Pakistanis, it is for the poor victims and only they have the right to accept or reject it. As soon as Iran gave 100 millions, and the US came for help, it would put all other Muslim countries to shame and they would have to follow the US example.
@syed baqar ahsan: You guys have been a little shameless in that area. Yes, your losses matter, but for the most part I saw a whole lot of "forget them, pay attention to us" around and on that anniversary. I held myself back from saying anything while it was happening because your losses are real and I'm not into the drama that would come afterwards. But the way you've gone about bringing it up has been a little bit obnoxious. Why not set your own specific day for remembrance? I'm sure you'll get plenty of attention without the need to fight for the spotlight. You acted like you're the ones who deserved the most attention on that day. How that conclusion came to be is rather confusing. The US was hit that day and while you did inherit tragedy in the aftermath, it's still the aftermath, so just pick another day. I'd bet you anything if you did, even if it was a couple days after, you would get what you seek without having to twist anyone's arm. @malik: No, they don't always put conditions on aid. Not with humanitarian aid. You get absolutely zero conditions. The other aid has always been dependent on your claims of working with the US against the militants. So, yes, if you sit around or are found to be lying about it, it will stop coming. Nobody has said "we'll do this if you help our flood victims" so there are no expectations or conditions beyond it actually going towards the victims it is intended to help. If for some reason it doesn't reach them, then yeah, things might get complicated but I'd like to hear anyone's reason for why it shouldn't in such a scenario.
When people are dying some self proclaimed patriots are debating whether aid is good or bad. I want to ask these worthless creatures how do you claim the right to decide for the sufferers? I find the Pakistani middle class is dead. I am astonished by the subject of the debate and the audacity of these people to treat the poor and the helpless as sacrificial. Can anybody tell me what is a nation without the masses ? People like A J Khan are actually advocating some kind of an honour killing. And look at John B and his blessed daughter. This is what middle class should be like. A state that cannot provide relief to its people in earthquake and flood and repeatedly seek foreign aid is insane to spend huge amounts in covert operations across its neighbour's border for decades which itself has not yielded anything. Then you accept aid from foreigners and later play double game with them in their war on terror for which they have again paid you additional money as compensation and military aid. What more do you want ? Giving looks with a begging bowl in hand ! If you continue like this surely your poor will be the first casualty as has always been and soon you will be reduced to a laughing stalk the world over. Its now boring to even pity you.
@ malik .. Brilliant comment .. wow .. I really like what you said .. " US might put in some surveillance items to check the movement and to invade the privacy of ordinary people " .. Now i am sure that US will put expensive nano surveillance devices on the wheat grains to monitor the food consumption patterns of poor flood affected Pakistanis. US will then use this data to break Pakistan and capture our assets.. Finally to dominate the world .. All this can be prevented by refusing aid and letting poor flood affected Pakistanis die of hunger ..
Despite the tension between the USA/Pakistan few had any doubt the American's would provide aid during a disaster. Last year Pakistan removed many of the American labels off the aid packages -- lets hope they show some class and don't repeat that.
@malik: "We don’t require any aid from US ......... They will try to break up the country once we accept these charity"
If this is so, then what is the use of such country which is so fragile that a simple gesture of aid for flood affectees breaks the country??
Khuda Hafiz
Kallu Mama
@A J Khan: Lets throw away the aid given to us by US. Remember we said we should have eaten grass but not supported US in Afghanistan... now is a chance to stand up and eat grass but not accept aid from US
In such situations, either in Pakistan or elsewhere it is important that instead of scoring political points, all sections should concentrate on actual help to the affected people. Because even as we who are better off waste time in 'we have done you a favor' and 'we don't need your favor' rhetoric, there are real people going through real sufferings. Natural disasters don't ask your for religion and political views before striking.
@John B ... apparently people in Pakistan has only perception that everything that's related to west is bad ... i appreciate your effort ... positive things should always be appreciated no matter what ...
@hasan: Finally someone with some common sense
Where are the so called brotherly Muslim/Arab countries?
We don't require any aid from US because along with aid they will impose a lot of conditions. They will try to break up the country once we accept these charity.
My friend working in the Army said, along with the goods, US might put in some surveillance items to check the movement and to invade the privacy of ordinary people. Planting bugs for overhearing and small cameras for spying are also not uncommon along with these aid items.
If America rushes to give aid, then you can understand why they do this. This is because, they are planning to capture all the data about the country with these low cost means.
We should reject these aid without hesitation, if we are serious about our security.
My daughter watched the news. She took $20 to her school donation collection from her pocket money. I gave additional $10. She is in 6th grade. We are not from Pakistan.
My daughter and I have no agenda against Pakistan in providing the donations. Hope my comment helps some conspiracy theorists to wake up.
AJ Khan:
You remind me of members of Al-Shabab in Somalia. The Muslims of the world have forgotten starving children of Somalia. Several thousand are dyeing of starvation each week. Al-Shabab tried to block the food aid from Western NGO's. They said dead Somali children are better than being fed by West. When the starvation spread due to lack of rains and extreme draught, and their own children were at risk, they started negotiating for a percentage of food.
AJ Khan I hope your family is put at extremee risk and they lose everything . Then I will see how you feel about aid. You are nothing better than the Taliban who just attacked a children's school bus in Peshawar. I think you must be pro-Imran Taliban and hate everything Western. I hope you are blogging from a computer made by Inram (PTI) or Taliban.
Ahmed.
Thank you America if you want to gain lost image do not send your staff because they are always on some other mission and buy costly vehicles out of the given amount for the relief of very poor affectees.
USA has always been helpful to Pakistan in humanitarian basis ... why do we forget that -last year floods where USA military men flown their choppers into sindh to help people evacuate and provide goods to them personally. -2005 earth quakes when USA UN and many other nations helped us in many ways. especially those houses they build for victims.
We Pakistanis have wrong perception about American people ... they are very nice people. Positive things should always be appreciated.
@Aryabhat ... well said brother ... people tend to forget that USA has helped us at numerous events.
We thankyou for your help to the beleagured people of Sindh. No doubt our so called President is in the watchful and cosy lap of british nurses
Right, so now there is flood, China sends in cheap chinese goods worth $4.7m to claim to be "true friend" of Pakistan.
Iran promises $100m and gets guarantee from ever grateful Pak PM that Iran can send their Interior Minister and we will sort out all issues on Balochistan/Sistan. A nice purchase by Persians to be fair!
Americans will send much more. But they will be "Enemies", ever conspiring to steal Pakistan's crown jewels - bums - in cohort with Hindus and Jews! Right?
Ever wondered why Pakistan need to place an advert in American newspapers proclaiming its "sacrifices" and how great "ally" it is to USA?
More then Pak Govt, it is actually Pak middle class hypocracy that irks the world. They always claim that America is the biggest threat to Pakistan, Islam, etc., never feel grateful or even say Thank you to American Aid and then line up for American visa at the first chance!
@A J Khan: Please, stop writing nonsense! You may not require assistance but many Pakistani's affected by the floods do.
this aid from America cannot come without our army's permission. Again there has been a deal wbetween our army and US. Just when you think our army is working in the interest of our nation this happens. Only Allah is our hope now.