US announces USD100 m flood relief assistance to Pakistan

Washington: The United States has announced an additional USD 100 million to Pakistan for its recovery and reconstruction efforts after the devastating floods last year that killed 1,739 and affected 33 million people. The funding also includes humanitarian assistance to support flood relief and recovery efforts in refugee hosting areas, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at a news conference here on Monday. “I am pleased to share that today the United States announced an additional USD 100 million of recovery and reconstruction funding, bringing our total contribution to over USD200 million,” he said. The new USD 100 million in funding will be for flood protection and governance, disease surveillance, economic growth, and clean energy, climate smart agriculture, food security, and infrastructure reconstruction, Price said.
The United States’ flood-related assistance complements its broader efforts to form a US-Pakistan green alliance that looks at the range of climate and resilience issues central to Pakistan’s reconstruction, the spokesperson said. “Pakistan’s recovery and reconstruction will be a continuing process in the months and years ahead and we will continue to support Pakistan in its efforts to build a more climate resilient future for its people,” Price said. Also on Monday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the opening session of the ‘International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan’ in Geneva, said the country would need a minimum of USD 16.3 billion, half of which is expected to be met by foreign help, over the next three years to bridge funding needs.