ISLAMABAD: As the country is reeling from the unprecedented devastation caused by floods and rains in KP, Balochistan, south Punjab and Sindh, assistance from international donors has started trickling in with the UN announcing on Thursday $3 million in aid for the flood-hit people and the All-Pakis­tan Chinese Enterprises’ Associa­­tion announcing a donation of Rs15 million to the PM’s Flood Relief Fund.

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated $3 million to UN agencies and partners in Pakistan to respond to floods.

“The amount will be used for health, nutrition, food security, and water and sanitation services in flood-affected areas, focusing on the most vulnerable,” the UN announced on Thursday.

The $3m UN relief will bring the total UN humanitarian assistance pledged so far for the flood response up to $7 million. The ongoing assistance by UN agencies includes medical supplies and services by WHO, safe water and nutrition by Unicef, support for maternal health by UNFPA, food assistance by WFP, vaccination of livestock by FAO and shelter for refugees by UNHCR.

APECA donation

Meanwhile, the All-Pakis­tan Chinese Enter­prises’ Association (APECA) has announced Rs15.5 million donation to the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund.

The fund has been set up in the wake of massive rains and floods which created havoc in the country.

Welcoming the donation, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday said that the APECA donation spoke volume of the bonding between China and Pakistan and acknowledgement of the sufferings the people of flood-hit areas of Pakistan were going through nowadays.

Mr Iqbal said that China was an all-weather friend who always stood by Pakistan be it an emergency or calamity or some sort of economic crisis.

ADB initiatives

In a related development, a delegation of the Asian Development Bank, led by Country Director Yong Ye, held a meeting with Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and informed him of some initiatives the ADB has taken to minimise and mitigate agonies of the people impacted by floods in the country.

“One such step is ‘Building Resilience with Active Counter­cyclical Expendi­tu­res” (BRACE), which the ADB is implementing to mitigate effe­cts of natural disasters in the country,” the minister was informed.

Mr Ismail apprised the ADB team of the devastation caused by unprecedented floods in the country.

The minister appreciated the role of the ADB for various development projects in the country.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2022