ISLAMABAD: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Friday agreed to provide an additional $20 million as humanitarian assistance to Pakistan, officials said, after flash floods killed nearly 1,400 people and severely damaged crops and infrastructure.
Unusually heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan have killed around 1,396 people in the country and demolished thousands of homes and road, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
More than 33 million people have been affected by the floods, while growers and exporters warn the country may suffer from a food security crisis in the coming months.
On Friday, USAID Administrator Samantha Power held separate meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
“Had a very useful meeting with USAID Administrator Samantha Power this evening. She informed that the United States government has increased financial assistance by another $20 million, thus taking the aid volume to $51 million,” Sharif wrote on Twitter, thanking Washington for the aid.
In her meeting with Pakistan’s army chief, the USAID administrator expressed grief over the loss of lives due to the floods, the Pakistani military media’s wing said.
“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest & collaboration/partnership in humanitarian measures were discussed,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
“She offered full support to the people of Pakistan,” it said, adding that the support from Pakistan’s global partners would be vital in rescue and rehabilitation of affectees.
Meanwhile, the United States Central Command, in support of USAID, has begun airlifting life-saving humanitarian supplies to support people and communities affected by the flooding in Pakistan, the US Embassy in Islamabad said on Friday.
“The supplies include nearly $2.2 million worth of essential life support resources, including food preparation and shelter materials, which will be delivered over the course of the coming days in approximately 20 different shipments around the country,” it said.
A truck carries relief sent by U.S government to Pakistani people in Islamabad, Pakistan, on September 8, 2022. (USAID/Twitter)
Earlier this week, the US announced more than $30 million in humanitarian aid for Pakistan as it battles one of the worst floods in recent history.
