The major reason for the slow flow of funds to the UN for the assistance of the flooded people in southern parts of Pakistan is the international priorities of the donors as they have made horn of Africa their priority owing to the biggest humanitarian crisis in the region.
The horn of Africa denotes the region containing the countries of Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia which is abode to roughly 100 million people. “The horn of Africa is facing the biggest humanitarian crisis and donors have their own international priorities for funding. They are providing funds as per their priorities despite of the fact the UN is facing serious funding shortfall for the assistance of flood affected people in Pakistan”, Kristen Elsby, Chief of Advocacy and Communication, UNICEF, told Pakistan Today.
The families in the horn of Africa, especially Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia have been devastated by droughts and conflicts which affected around affected 12 million lives. Leaders from more than 60 countries had met at the United Nations on September 24 and had pledged assistance of more than US$218 million new humanitarian aid. “Pakistan also needs world’s humanitarian assistance as it will be difficult for the millions of the affected in the country to return to their normal lives without donors help. UNICEF has received only a couple of millions of dollars for the Pakistani flood affected people so far which is inadequate”, Kristen Elsby said.
Urgent relief essential: The United Nations warned Saturday that humanitarian agencies were running out of resources as its funding request had received only $ 19 million of the $ 357 million needed. “Urgent relief is critical as families continue to suffer in the aftermath of the floods. Unless we receive new pledges to the Floods 2011 Rapid Response Plan, millions of people will be left in need of food, clean water and essential medicines for months to come,” said Timo Pakkala, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, had said in New York.
