ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) has announced another $10 million for flood relief efforts in Pakistan, the Pakistani foreign office said on Tuesday, after a meeting between Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington.
More than 1,600 people, one-third of them children, have died in Pakistan floods and more than 33 million have been affected, with officials estimating nationwide damages caused by the deluges at $30 billion.
The United States has committed $56 million in humanitarian aid and sent 17 planes full of relief supplies, with promises of a long-term support.
“On the sidelines of a ceremony to celebrate 75th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and the US, at the State Department, Secretary Blinken announced additional $10 million for the flood victims,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
Secretary Blinken also confirmed the announcement of $10 in additional US aid toward food security in Pakistan.
“We are proud to build on other efforts as well, including women’s empowerment,” he said on Twitter. “We are stronger when we work together.”
In their meeting at the State Department, Bhutto-Zardari apprised Secretary Blinken about the devastation caused by the cataclysmic floods with more than 33 million people affected and a huge loss of lives and livelihoods. No country could deal with a crisis of this proportion on its own, he said.
“Pakistan being one of the lowest emitters was ironically one of the most severely impacted by climate change,” the foreign minister told the US state secretary, as quoted by the Pakistani foreign office.
“Pakistan was seeking climate justice and looked toward its partners to assist us in recovering from this climate induced calamity.”
Pakistani officials have blamed the devastation on human-driven climate change and say the South Asian country is unfairly bearing the consequences of irresponsible environmental practices elsewhere in the world.
Pakistan is eighth on NGO Germanwatch’s Global Climate Risk Index, a list of countries deemed most vulnerable to extreme weather caused by climate change, despite contributing less than 1 percent to global carbon emissions.
Pakistan was committed to building back better, greener and climate resilient infrastructure in areas such as irrigation, communication, energy, agri-technology, and health, Bhutto-Zardari said. Immediate action is required to help developing countries effectively face the climate crisis, he added.