As winter approaches, aid agencies desperately appeal for donations

Despite US, European Commission contributions, less than a third of the UN’s appeal has been met.


Agencies November 10, 2011

ISLAMABAD: International aid agencies have warned that they might have to cut back or halt their flood relief efforts in Pakistan because of funding shortfalls.

Less than a third of the United Nations’ $357 million floods appeal for 2011 has been met and organisations such as Oxfam, Save the Children, Care and umbrella group Acted are urging donors to give more or see aid flows stop.

Five million people have been affected by floods in Sindh. Supplies of clean water, sanitation, food, shelter and healthcare are all under severe threat and impoverished farmers in the waterlogged province of Sindh, which is still reeling from last year’s massive flooding, face losing yet another winter crop, just as the cold weather closes in.

“Over two months into the crisis, millions of people are still without basics. If relief operations stop, it could lead to an unimaginable catastrophe,” said Neva Khan, Oxfam’s country director in Pakistan.

“The sort of things that we’re really concerned about are those very basic humanitarian essentials like access to clean water and sanitation which over 60% of the affected population at the moment still don’t have access to,” Khan said, adding that with winter approaching fast, millions of people who are still without shelter will be left out in the cold.

Save the Children has raised only 35% of its required funds, while Care faces a shortfall of 91%.

The US and the European Commission have given the most money to the UN appeal, donating $13.4 million and $20.6 million respectively.

Stacey Winston, from the UN said the 2011 fund “remains distressingly underfunded with a 73% shortfall and if more funding is not received relief supplies will run out within weeks.”

According to official figures, more than 1.58 million homes in Sindh and 26,000 in neighbouring Balochistan have been damaged in the flood disaster. About 800,000 people remain displaced. Latest estimates suggest that three million people are in urgent need of emergency food supplies.

“We had expected the situation to stabilise by now but conditions are going from bad to worse,” warned Save the Children’s Pakistan Country Director David Wright. “Malnutrition levels among children under five are among some of our worst-recorded cases.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th,  2011.

COMMENTS (6)

Tariq | 12 years ago | Reply

Where are the chinese friends of Pakistan

HARRY STONE | 12 years ago | Reply

Just divert some of the funds that are being spent to build nuclear weapons and this would not be a problem for anyone.

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