US provided over $53 mn this year to support flood response in Pakistan: WH

The US has provided over USD 53 million this year alone to support disaster resilience and flood response in Pakistan, the White House said Thursday.

The cash-strapped nation has been struggling with the worst floods in the past 30 years, leaving more than 1,400 dead and 33 million people affected since early June.

A third of the country is submerged in water and one in every seven persons is badly affected by the floods that have led to an estimated USD 12 billion in losses that have left about 78,000 square kilometres (21 million acres) of crops under water.

We've provided a total of USD 53.1 million this year alone to support disaster resilience and flood response in Pakistan. Additionally, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is airlifting 41,200 kitchen sheets, 1,500 rolls of plastic sheeting, 35,000 plastic tarps and 8,700 shelter fixing kits helping more than 300,000 people with shelter and household needs, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), she said, has deployed a disaster assistance response team to lead the US government's continuing humanitarian response efforts in Pakistan and has deployed technical experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist with the public health impacts of the flood.

Since the 2010 floods, the United States has supported preparedness, resilience and disaster risk reduction efforts in Pakistan, improving the ability of communities to withstand and respond to disasters like this one, Jean-Pierre said.

The UN said that USD 150 million have been pledged so far in response to flash appeals for Pakistan's flood victims but only USD 38 million has been converted into assistance.

While several countries have come forward to provide aid to Pakistan in such a crisis, Pakistan and the UN had launched a flash appeal for USD 160 million in initial funding out of which USD 150 million has been pledged.