UN launches $459m Pakistan flood appeal

http://timesofearth.com/Worldnews/?NT=0&nid=26021 ISLAMABAD — The United Nations appealed Wednesday for nearly $460 million in emergency aid for victims of the devastating floods in Pakistan. U.N. Humanitarian Chief John Holmes said the money is needed to help the more than 14 million people affected by the flooding during the next 90 days.

The heavy monsoon rains started wreaking havoc in Pakistan last month, ravaging several provinces as rivers overflowed their banks and torrential rains swept away homes, infrastructure, crops, and livestock. The floods have claimed at least 1,600 lives and left nearly two million people homeless.

John Holmes told U.N. member states the assessment of losses and damages is still under way, but it is already very clear that these are the worst floods in Pakistan for more than 80 years.

"While the overall death toll from this disaster has been relatively low compared with large numbers of people the government estimates to have been affected, unless aid activities are rapidly scaled up to reach those who remain displaced and without immediate access to food and clean drinking water, additional loss of human lives and further suffering will occur," said Holmes.

He warned the risk of water-borne diseases, such as diarrhea and cholera, are particularly high.

Martin Mogwanja, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Pakistan, said that the World Health Organization has already recorded high levels of gastroenteritis and acute watery diarrhea. There is also concern there may be a cholera outbreak.

"I want to underline the risks of a second wave of mortality due to water-borne diseases if we do not act immediately and at scale to ensure the availability of clean drinking water, hygiene and health care, together with comprehensive surveillance to understand exactly what is happening with disease across the whole country," noted Mogwanja.

The $460 million appeal will fund food assistance, clean water, shelter, medical care and other emergency relief for the millions affected by the floods.

The government of Pakistan is leading the relief and recovery efforts. Pakistan's U.N. Ambassador Abdullah Haroon expressed concern that with continued rains predicted, the floods could continue for the next couple of weeks, causing further death and destruction.

Ambassador Haroon said in addition to the significant humanitarian toll, the government fears an economic disaster as well, with its cotton industry particularly hard hit.

"The fear is that this flood might affect the entire Gross Domestic Product [GDP] production of Pakistan by over one to 1.5 percent gross," said Haroon. "Where the GDP expansion this year is advocated at about four percent, you can imagine what that is going to mean."

U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said prior to Wednesday's appeal, many countries had already pledged funds and/or supplies to Pakistan in the area of about $150 million. Among them is the United States, whose total commitment is about $71 million. It is too soon to say how much of the U.N.'s $460 million appeal has been funded, but early commitments Wednesday were around $10 million, with additional equipment and supplies promised.

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Category:

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Tags:

• Pakistan
• Flood
• Disaster
• Relief

[aseohosting]

I am absolutely amazed at how terrific the info is on this video

[ProfetTommy]

@elmorevenge this i did not know of, Did i read you right? PAKISTAN HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL INCREASE ITS MILITARY SPENDING BY 17 PERCENT THIS YEAR!!! alarming News. i will google this asap!

The moslem done it again. fuck they are like cave men

[ProfetTommy]

@gucciiboyy yemen sharia laws. child molesting legal!

pakistan sharia law, child molesting legal(note, the child needs parents approval)

saudi arabia sharia law, child molesting legal.

afganistan sharia law, child molesting legal.

This a resoult of muhammeds perverted ways.



[gucciiboyy]

@ProfetTommy his deeds r timeless...but it doesnt mean u can marry girls tht r 9 yrs old...if tht was allowed dont u think all the muslim wives would be way younger....when time changes so does technology clothing nd lifestyle wut prophet muhammed (pbuh) did was sunnat means u will get rewarded for the good deeds he did nd u dont hav to do them if u do it for example when the muhammed pbuh opened his fast he would begin it with a date u dont hav to begin it with a date but if u do u get rewarded

[ProfetTommy]

@ThePseudoBasher AMEN



[ProfetTommy]

@gucciiboyy

Are you retarded?Islam is saying muhammeds deeds were timeless. so what he did 1400 years ago, still is the norm of moslem behavior today! ergo: muhammed molested a littel girl 1400 years ago, and due to this sharia laws still permits child molesting. and aisha sad story is repeted over and over again. children has been molested legaly in islam for 1400 years. is it not time to say muhammed were a pedofile. lets follow someone who has better moral!

[ThePseudoBasher]

@Elpapi454 whatever dude you want to appease those terrorists out there go ahead i was in pakistan these guys are fucking religious maniacs........99.9% of them they will kill on any topic........they are filthy fucking uneducated violent pricks

[Elpapi454]

@ThePseudoBasher 1) They're not terrorists 2) Only terrorist country i've seen is your country (If you lvie in the US) so better shut up, criminal.

I'm glad someone is human enough to donate to another country, once again, every other country is one step over the US in humanity.

[crazyfabio1]

@ThePseudoBasher yes man you damn right

[ThePseudoBasher]

i aint giving any money to those terrorists