The UK is providing life-saving clean water, sanitation
and shelter to over 55,000 vulnerable people in Pakistan to help
them recover from devastating floods.
The announcement was made by Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon,
Minister of State for South Asia at the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth
& Development Office, during a virtual visit to Pakistan
where he also discussed with the Government of Pakistan how
Britain could work with them to tackle climate change.
The £800,000 UK aid package will be given through the National
Disaster Consortium (NDC) and will provide immediate relief in
rural Sindh to many who have lost their homes. It comes on top of
the UK’s distribution last week of emergency stocks including
hygiene kits and tarpaulins to over 1,118 families in
flood-affected districts of Sindh. The UK will coordinate closely
with Pakistani authorities to ensure that aid gets to where it is
needed most.
Lord Ahmad said:
Like everyone in the UK, I have been saddened to see the
heart-breaking images of the flooding in Pakistan. The UK
stands with Pakistan, ready to help, as entire communities have
lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones.
The UK aid announced today will ensure life-saving clean water,
sanitation and shelter gets to those who need it most. The
recent monsoon flooding serves as a stark reminder of how
devastating natural disasters can be - and the dangers of
climate change.
During my first virtual visit to Pakistan as a Minister of the
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, I also launched
a year of climate action from the British High Commission ahead
of COP26, which will save lives, create jobs and protect the
environment.
British High Commissioner CMG said:
Following Pakistan’s remarkable success against Covid-19, it is
important that we support strengthening systems against the
devastating flooding.
As part of Lord Ahmad’s virtual visit, the UK urged Pakistan to
be ambitious and work together on a green recovery from COVID-19
as part of a UK-Pakistan year of climate change action, ahead of
the UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, in Glasgow next
year. He discussed with the Government of Pakistan how the UK can
help the country transition to cleaner energy, emphasising that
with the UK’s world-leading expertise in this area, it can help
Pakistan make the most of opportunities from the rapidly falling
cost of renewables.
Lord Ahmad was due to meet the Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood
to exchange views on bilateral relations, and trade ties, and he
also visited a UK-funded girls’ education programme in South
Punjab. The UK has committed to ensuring every girl gets 12 years
of quality education, and in Pakistan, the UK has supported
nearly 8 million girls to attend primary and secondary school.
The Minister also visited the Polio Surveillance Centre, which is
also the COVID-19 surveillance centre. He met the Coordinator
National Emergency Operations Centre Dr Rana Safdar who briefed
the Minister on Pakistan’s response to COVID-19. Lastly, he was
scheduled to take part in a roundtable for media freedom, to be
attended by notable media figures and digital rights activists in
Pakistan to discuss media issues and how to tackle intimidation
of female journalists.
Notes to editors:
-
In Sindh, according to data from the Meteorological
Department, rainfall in August was the highest since
recordkeeping began 89 years ago. In Karachi, rainwaters
devastated factory stock and caused mass power outages.
-
Twenty districts of Sindh have been declared “calamity
affected” and local disaster management teams together with
NGOs, supported by the military, have been rescuing stranded
people, providing medical aid, and food rations. Initial
assessments by District authorities suggest that more than
2.5m people have been affected across the worst-hit districts
of Badin, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sajawal and Sanghar.
-
In all, monsoon rains have resulted in the death of over 230
people and damaged over 2,600 houses across Pakistan,
according to the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
-
The UK has committed at least £11.6 billion in International
Climate Finance over the next five years, and will invest £13
million in Pakistan this year on tackling climate change.
This will include supporting local communities adapt to
climate change and improve resilience through emergency
disaster planning and helping to increase the use of
renewable energy and improve energy efficiency.
