The European Union has announced additional funding of €15 million in order to continue delivering immediate relief to the victims of two humanitarian crises in Pakistan. These funds will provide assistance to those affected by the on-going conflict in the north of the country as well as to the victims of three successive years of major flooding in the south. The additional funding brings the European Commission’s 2012 humanitarian contribution for Pakistan to a total of €70 million.
Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, responsible for Humanitarian Aid, Civil Protection and Crisis Response said: “These two largely unreported crises in Pakistan are affecting tens of thousands of vulnerable people in the north and the south of the country. They have brought suffering to all those who have fled their homes due to the internal conflict, and to the victims of three consecutive years of devastating monsoon floods which have destroyed livelihoods and left behind lingering food shortages and hunger.
The additional assistance to be provided for those affected by both crises will include emergency food and nutritional assistance, safe drinking water and the rehabilitation of public water points, hygiene and sanitation facilities, basic health care services, emergency shelter materials, as well as camp coordination and management. Disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness components will be integrated in order to try to alleviate the impact of future natural disasters.
The delivery of aid funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) department will be targeted to those in greatest need and channelled through its humanitarian partners including UN agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent family and International Non-Government Organisations.
