PPP has claimed that Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto raised Rs. 1.03 trillion in financial aid from United Nations member countries for flood victims in one hour.
According to the details by PPP, at the appeal of Foreign Minister Bilawal, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Health Organization, UNICEF, Red Crescent, and member countries of the UN showed a positive response.
Read more: Flood victims complain they did not get relief goods during Maryam Nawaz visit
PPP said after his appeal, China, Turkey, USA, UK, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, and other countries announced immediate assistance. The UN member countries besides cash assistance also announced to send tents, medicines, edibles, and other relief goods.
وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے ایک گھنٹے میں اقوام متحدہ کے رکن ممالک سے تقریبا ایک کھرب 30 ارب روپے جمع کرلئے
امریکا نے وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی اپیل کے بعد پاکستان کو ساڑھے چھ ارب روپے کی امداد دی@BBhuttoZardari
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) August 30, 2022
Appeal for financial assistance
Tuesday, the UN and the government of Pakistan launched an emergency appeal for $160 million to help those hardest hit by the devastating floods in the country. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for assistance in a video statement, calling the flooding a “colossal crisis”.
The funds will provide 5.2 million people with food, water, sanitation, emergency education, protection, and health support, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. The aid, covering the initial six months of the crisis response, will also help to avoid outbreaks of cholera, and to provide food aid to mothers and their young children. It will also provide assistance to refugees, the disabled, and the elderly and facilitate schemes to reunite families separated by the disaster.
Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto described this year’s “super floods” as a “climate calamity”, adding that “what we are facing today has been no above average monsoon.”
“It is an entirely new level of climate-led catastrophe,” Bilawal Bhutto said and later announced a “UN Flash Appeal” for Pakistan’s Flood Response Plan.
Read more: Int’l community stands by Pakistan as it battles raging floods
The appeal, Bilawal added, was expected to address only a part of the overall requirements and would complement the broader effort. The minister further urged the international community to give its full backing to the Flash Appeal to help people.
Pakistan’s flood catastrophe had already garnered international attention with countries sending aid, however, after the appeal, more aid began to flow to Pakistan as more countries announced funds.
The United States had earlier announced $1 million to build resilience against natural disasters in addition to $100,000 in immediate relief for the flood victims of Pakistan. After the appeal, the US announced another $30 million in humanitarian assistance for flood relief efforts.
"The United States is deeply saddened by the devastation caused by flooding throughout Pakistan. Through @USAID, we will provide $30 million more in life-saving humanitarian assistance to those who have lost their loved ones, livelihoods, and homes." -DB #AmbBlome 1/2 pic.twitter.com/OL4r0YgV6Z
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) August 30, 2022