US Ambassador announces additional $30m as flood assistance

ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on Thursday announced an additional US$30 million in humanitarian assistance to support flood-affected populations in Pakistan.

Ambassador Blome made the announcement during a visit with USAID’s implementing partner, ACTED, in the Shikarpur district of Sindh, where he helped to distribute emergency shelter, latrines and hygiene kits among flood-affected people.

The Ambassador also traveled to Makhno village, where the flood-affected community uses USG emergency shelter kits as temporary housing. He talked with flood victims to learn about the impact of the flooding and understand their needs.

This new funding brings the United States’ total assistance to Pakistan for flood response, food security and disaster preparedness and capacity-building efforts to $97 million this year, said a statement issued here by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. The new funding will expand efforts to address immediate needs, scaling up assistance to the most affected communities and enabling USAID to reach more than 4 million people.

With the additional funding, the U.S. government, through USAID, will provide life-saving food, nutrition, and health assistance to mitigate increased food insecurity and malnutrition resulting from the impact of the floods, as well as curb the rise of diseases resulting from stagnant flood waters.

The new funding will also provide shelter supplies to help families rebuild as well as winterization kits to help families prepare ahead of cold weather. As the women and girls are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters, like flooding, the United States is providing increased protection support to prevent gender-based violence as well as provide support for survivors.