ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia on Thursday signed a grant agreement amounting to US$1 million to address the impact of floods that devastated parts of the South Asian country and inflicted major financial losses, an official statement said.
Pakistan witnessed a prolonged and intense monsoon season that led to the country’s worst flooding in a century, with glacial lakes bursting and flash floods affecting several urban and rural areas of Pakistan.
Since mid-June, over 1,700 individuals lost their lives in floods that submerged large swathes of land for about three months. The situation affected 33 million people while destroying houses, farmlands and other public infrastructure, causing losses of over $30 billion.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) signed a US$1 million grant agreement with the Indonesian government to aid the country’s post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
“On behalf of [the] Government of Pakistan, NDMA signed the grant agreement amounting to USD 1 million with [the] Government of the Republic of Indonesia for addressing the impact of severe floods in Pakistan,” said the official statement released in Islamabad.
It added the document was signed by the- NDMA chairperson, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, and Indonesia’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Adam Mulawarman Tugio.
“This grant shall be utilized in the recovery & rehabilitation of the most vulnerable population to meet the basic need of food, nutrition, and shelter in the aftermath of floods 2022,” the statement further added. “The portion of the grant could be employed for resilience and disaster preparedness interventions in Pakistan.”
After signing the agreement, the NDMA chairman expressed gratitude to the Indonesian government and people for showing solidarity and extending humanitarian relief assistance to the survivors of flood in Pakistan.
Ambassador Tugio also reiterated that his country would continue to support vulnerable communities in the flood-affected areas while urging the international community to help Pakistan during the rehabilitation phase.
The United Nations in Geneva will host the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan on January 9, 2023, to raise much-needed funds for the flood victims.
Ahead of the international donors’ conference, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made an emotional appeal and urged the world community to donate and help the country arrange food, tents, and other essential items for millions of people displaced by deadly floods.
