THE WORLD Bank yesterday boosted the sluggish international response to Pakistan’s catastrophic floods by releasing $900 million (€698 million) to fund relief efforts as the UN warned that many of the 20 million people affected are still awaiting emergency aid.
The World Bank said the funds it was making available were to help Pakistan recover from the deluge and would be redirected from and planned projects in the country.
The floods, which began late last month, have begun to recede in some areas but the overall situation could yet deteriorate, with Pakistani authorities warning that the bloated Indus may burst its banks again in the coming days.
“The vast geographical extent of the floods and affected populations meant that many people have yet to be reached with the assistance they desperately need,” the UN said in a statement.
It also said the number of children and breast-feeding mothers affected and rising diarrhoea cases “point toward a clear risk of malnutrition”. Pakistan’s already weak and unpopular government has been severely tested by the disaster, which has affected about a fifth of the country. There is much anger and resentment over what many perceive to have been an inadequate and tardy response. In some areas, flood victims have staged protests to demand assistance from the government.
Pakistan’s president Asif Zardari acknowledged yesterday that the government had reacted poorly to the floods. “Yes, the situation could be better. Yes, the arrangements could have been made better. Yes, everything could have been better,” he told local aid agencies. “We have to move forward despite whatever criticism we get.”
Several humanitarian agencies have criticised the response from international donors. The UN appealed last week for $459 million to cover initial relief efforts. Yesterday a spokesman said it had received some 40 per cent of that.
Earlier this month Pakistan’s prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani set up an emergency relief fund for Pakistanis to donate to. It has only managed to attract just over 117 million rupees (€1.05 million) so far. Authorities in the southern province of Sindh, one of the worst-affected regions, said more floods were likely before the end of the week. “The next two days are crucial for the safety of people,” said Sindh’s irrigation minister.
IMRAN KHAN FUND POLITICIAN LAUNCHES APPEAL
Imran Khan, the cricketer- turned-politician, is launching his own emergency fundraising appeal for the victims of the devastating floods in Pakistan, pitting him directly against the government’s own efforts.
The Imran Khan Flood Relief organisation will seek to tackle both the immediate emergency and the long-term rehabilitation work required.
“The government has totally collapsed, there’s no government here,” Mr Khan said.
“The government’s efforts to raise money have totally failed because no one trusts the government.”
Mr Khan will seek to mobilise thousands of Pakistanis behind his cause, to produce an army of volunteers to carry out the work. The floods have ravaged at least a fifth of the land mass of Pakistan. – ( Guardianservice)