‘UK to provide homes to over 255,000 flood-hit people’

The United Kingdom (UK) would provide emergency shelter and flood-resistant houses to over 255,000 people rendered homeless by this year’s devastating monsoon floods in southern Pakistan, said Department for International Development (DFID) Secretary Andrew Mitchell. The announcement came in response to the United Nations’ Pakistan Floods Rapid Response Plan 2011. This new support from the UK government includes emergency shelter and blankets that would be shipped in directly from the DFID’s warehouse in the United Arab Emirates, as well as help build flood-resistant houses for 40,000 people where water has receded.
Mitchell said, “I know the suffering caused by the flood in Sindh is of deep concern to many British people. That’s why I am announcing that the UK will provide vital shelter to over 255,000 children and adults who have lost their homes.” He said, “The UK support for people affected by the floods will continue not only over the coming weeks, but into 2012. This reflects the deep friendship and longstanding bond between the UK and Pakistan. Our countries are closely tied through family, business, history and culture, and we shall always stand by and support each other.”
The UK had already anticipated more floods in Pakistan this year, and over the last few months had pre-positioned 5,000 family tents, 10,000 tarpaulin sheets, 35,000 thermal blankets and tens of thousands of hygiene kits, water bottles and other emergency items in 12 locations across Pakistan via the International Federation of the Red Cross. These are now being distributed to the people who urgently need them across Sindh. In addition, the UK helped provide emergency shelter to 37,440 families, 2,000 solar lamps and 1,000 sleeping mats via the International Organisation of Migration; and is supporting the World Health Organisation’s Disease Early Warning System in Sindh until February 2012 to try to avoid major outbreaks of health epidemics.
The UK also funded training for rural communities on how to prepare for and cope with floods, and UK funding is supporting cash-for-work projects to repair flood protection barriers, irrigation channels and other community infrastructure. This helps reduce vulnerability to future disasters and at the same time provides opportunities for the people to earn money through creating employment.
The UK is committed to being better prepared to deal with future disasters and build up resilience of local communities. This is in line with the Humanitarian Emergency Response Review published by Lord Ashdown earlier this year.
The UK helped millions of people affected by last year’s monsoon floods across Pakistan, initially by providing emergency shelter and food. Later, the UK helped people to rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient again by constructing flood-resistant brick homes, replacing bridges and schools, and providing seeds, farm animals, jobs and tools.