UN SG says world behind floods-hit Pakistan
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Aug 15, IRNA -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who arrived in Islamabad on Sunday to see the flood-hit areas, said that the whole world is behind Pakistan in the hour of trial.
“I have come to see what is going on and urge the world community for speed up assistance,”: the UN Secretary-General told reporters.
“I will have an opportunity to see for myself efforts for the affected people. I will report to the General Assembly on Thursday this week to mobilize all necessary assistance,” Ban Ki-moon said.
“I am glad to visit Pakistan for the 2nd time to share sympathy and solidarity of the United Nations to the people and government of Pakistan,” he said.
He said that he will hold meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and discuss with them the relief activities.
“I hope that with courage fortitude of the government of Pakistan and people will overcome the crises in a near future,” the UN Secretary General said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Interior Minister Rehman Malik received the UN Secretary-General on arrival at the Chaklala military air base near Islamabad.
Pakistan’s envoy to the UN Hussain Haroon is accompanying the UN Secretary-General.
The visit comes days after the UN launched appeal for $460 million to help Pakistan tackle the needs of flood-affected families.
Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that 20 per cent of the requested amount has been received so far.
The funds requested under the emergency response plan launched in New York on Wednesday covers immediate priorities such as food, clean drinking water, tents and other shelter and non-food items, as well as medical supplies for those affected by the flooding, which began late last month in the wake of particularly heavy monsoon rains.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday in his televised address that the worst ever floods in country’s history have killed 1,384 people, injured 1,630 and according to initial estimates damaged over 0.7 million homes. Gilani said the natural calamity has affected approximately 20 million people.
OCHA says that the floods have destroyed homes, farmland and major infrastructure in large parts of the country, most notably the north-west province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
Mengesha Kebede, UNHCR’s Representative in Pakistan, said the crisis facing the country is enormous and warned that it will not be over when the flood waters recede.
“We believe that many more communities and refugee camps will literally surface, homes destroyed or very seriously damaged, with hunger and illness exposing in particular women and children to grave situations.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) says one of the major concerns for it is the rising number of people seeking care for waterborne diseases.
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End News / IRNA / News Code 1280422
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