WASHINGTON: In reply to the September 9 plea by President Asif Ali Zardari, the United States has started providing help to flood victims in Pakistan.
Exceptional ambassador for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman spoke to Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani on phone to verify the US commitment to flood relief efforts.
According to Reporter, the US Embassy in Islamabad had issued a disaster declaration for Sindh and was already providing immediate flood help through current partners on the ground.
In the region of, 346,500 people will get instant food help through the USAID-sponsored rations, while 5,500 families will receive emergency shelter and non-food items through USAID grant partners. The US government will sponsor medical services through mobile health units and medical units in camps for 500,000 internally displaced persons.
According to US officials, the US government, as one of the largest international help donors, will also donate to the provision of an additional 8,000 tents, 17,000 shelter kits, and food rations for 71,000 families by international partners such as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and World Food Program (WFP).