More resources urgently needed for Pakistan flood relief efforts, UN stresses
(October 30, 2010) United Nations humanitarian agencies Friday called for urgent
additional resources for the flood relief efforts in Pakistan, warning that millions
are at risk of not having enough food, shelter and warm clothing as winter approaches.
Martin Mogwanja, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, has cautioned that emergency
food supplies for flood-affected people will run out in December unless additional
resources are received. With winter on the way, seven million people still do not
have adequate shelter or quilts, blankets and warm clothing, according to the UN Officer.
The $2 billion appeal for aid for Pakistani flood victims, the largest-ever launched
by the UN and its partners for a natural disaster, is currently 39 per cent funded.
Humanitarian assistance, notably in Sindh province, where 7.2 million people remained
affected by the floods, was vital ahead of the winter. The water has receded in some
places, but it might take more than six months before other areas dried up. It is
reported that one million people are living in temporary shelters or in camps in Sindh,
but the humanitarian aid pipeline is being restricted due to a lack of contributions,
notably in the food sector. The agency’s spokesperson, Adrian Edwards, said those
hardest hit by the flooding – people affected by extreme poverty, loss of livelihoods
and other vulnerabilities – might need camp accommodation even longer. Director-General
Margaret Chan also launched a polio programme in northern Pakistan and visited diarrhoea
treatment and nutrition centres in Sindh province. Dengue fever and new cases of
polio are also appearing in some parts of the country, he said.