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Pakistan Floods – Call For More Aid

  • August 18th, 2010
  • Posted by EUEditor

pakistan-floods-alertnetorg.jpgThe United Nations says that international aid is too late and too sluggish to save victims of the flooding along the Indus River system in Pakistan – especially the millions of children at risk of serious disease from infected water.

pakistan-floods-aerial.jpg  WEEKS TO COME

As the UN called for more support from the international community, weather forecasters estimated the high water levels would persist until the end of this month – with some 20 million people believed stranded.

INFORMATION FOR INDIVIDUAL GIVING

  • Oxfam Australia: http://www.oxfam.org.au/donate; Oxfam in UK: http://www.oxfam.org.au/donate
  • WWF Australia: http://www.wwf.org.au/, tel. +61 2 9281 5515; International http://www.worldwildlife.org/
  • Red Cross Australia: http://www.redcross.org.au/howyoucanhelp_donationopt.htm
    ICRC http://www.icrc.org/
  • APHEDA, Union Aid Abroad, Australia: http://www.apheda.org.au/

EU AND AUSTRALIA

The European Union last week (11.8.10) topped up its earlier  €30-million (A$43.29-million; dcerates.com, 18.8.10) donation for Pakistan flood relief with an additional €10-million (A$14.43-million), pointing out that humanitarian aid to Pakistan in the last year, from the European Commission alone, had come to €111.25-million (A$160.55-million). Member states were separately pledging more.

The Australian Foreign Affairs Department yesterday (17.8.10) added A$24-million to the A$11-million previously pledged by the government, saying the catastrophe in Pakistan had got worse.

It has contributed mainly to United Nations agencies, the red Cross and other non-government organisations.

Reference

DFAT, Canberra, “Australia commits an additional $24 million to Pakistan flood relief”, 17.8.10. www.dfat.gov.au, (18.8.10).

EU Delegation, Canberra, “Floods in Pakistan: Commission provides additional EU10-milllion …”, 11.8.10. http://www.delaus.ec.europa.eu/, (11.8.10).

Munir Ahmed and Riaz Khan, “Pakistan floods to recede only by month’s end”, Associated Press, NY, 18.8.10.

Pictures   

Alertnet.org, NASA