Helping hand: Japan to provide $4.7m more for flood victims

The Japanese government has pledged to provide $4.7 million as emergency aid for those affected by the floods in Pakistan this year. The grant is in addition to the $437,000 worth relief goods that the Japanese government pledged for the flood victims on November 9, said a press release issued by the Japanese embassy.

The grant will be implemented in three phases through three international organisations. In the first phase, $2.9 million will be spent on food security through the World Food Programme, in the second $1 million will be spent on shelters and non-food items through the International Organization for Migration and in the third $0.8 million will be spent on the provision of water and sanitation through the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

Even two months after the monsoon rains caused floods in southern Punjab, northern Sindh and north-eastern Balochistan, a large part of these regions still remains under water. According to NDMA, 21,571 people in these areas have died while the total number of people affected is approximately 4.85 million.

Those affected still require immediate food assistance as they struggle to rebuild their livelihoods. Appropriate shelters and water and sanitation facilities are among the priority needs of the affected population.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2012.