02 August 2010

United States Rushing Aid to Pakistan Flood Victims

Senior Airman Jose Cornejo, a U.S. Air Force loadmaster, hands boxes of Halal meals to Pakistanis in Peshawar August 1.

By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.
Staff Writer

Washington — The United States has begun a massive humanitarian response in the aftermath of devastating flooding that has struck northwestern Pakistan, including a pledge of $10 million in aid, according to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“The Pakistani people are friends and partners, and the United States is standing with them as the tragic human toll mounts from flooding in northwest Pakistan,” Clinton said in a prepared statement August 1. “Our embassy in Islamabad is coordinating closely with Pakistani authorities to support rescue and relief efforts.”

“We have made an initial commitment for $10 million in aid and are rushing helicopters, boats, pre-fabricated bridges, mobile water treatment units and emergency food supplies to meet Pakistan’s growing humanitarian needs,” Clinton said.

By August 2, according to the U.S. embassy in Islamabad, approximately 500,600 people had been displaced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and another 200,000 near Mianwali, Punjab. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government estimates that at least 800 people have died in the floods, with another 358 injured and 129 lost or missing, the embassy reported.

To date, 12,823 people have been rescued, the embassy said; that includes 733 people rescued since July 30 by U.S. helicopters working under Squadron 50 of the Ministry of Interior. Exact totals may not be known for days as officials struggle to reach remote areas that have been out of contact.

Ambassador Anne Patterson said in Islamabad that the United States is responding to requests for support from Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority. One request was for four inflatable rescue boats that are designed for lightness and speed on rapidly flowing waters.

“Monsoon rains have caused a lot of flooding,” said Hassan Zulfiqar, director of the National Disaster Management Authority. “Almost 1 million people have been affected and thousands of people are marooned in flooded areas. They need immediate assistance, especially food and medicines.”

A woman carries her child as she wades through floodwaters next to her collapsed house in Kamp Koroona village near Nowshera, Pakistan, August 2.

Zulfiqar said U.S. relief supplies are urgently needed and the effort needs to be sustained.

The Pakistani authority has also requested two U.S. water filtration units, which are essential to provide fresh water and prevent disease outbreaks. The units provide pumping, purification, storage and distribution. Each unit can meet daily water requirements of up to 10,000 people.

The United States has begun delivering more than 189,000 halal meals from U.S. supply depots in the South Asia region on 10 separate flights. “The meals are being delivered to Pakistan’s military for distribution in flood-stricken areas,” the embassy said. “Food and water also has been ferried to people still not able to leave the flood areas.”

On July 31, a U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo plane delivered international assistance to Islamabad that included nearly 8,000 halal meals. Early on August 1, an Air Force C-17 cargo jet delivered more than 44,000 more halal meals.

The U.S. embassy said another 62,000 halal meals were scheduled for delivery by Air Force transport on August 1 and over the next few days. The relief flights were coming in to the Pakistan Air Force Base at Chaklala, Rawalpindi.

The United States is sending 12 prefabricated steel bridges that can be used to temporarily replace highway bridges damaged by flooding in Peshawar and Kurram Agency. The provincial government and Pakistan’s military are coordinating their efforts for use of the bridges, the embassy said.

U.S. helicopters were used to deliver more than 11,873 pounds of rations and supplies to flood victims. On August 1 alone the helicopters rescued 165 people and ferried another nine to a hospital in Nowshera.

Clinton said the United States is working closely with the Pakistani government to ensure that the humanitarian assistance reaches those who need it most.

“I have seen firsthand the strength and resilience of the Pakistani people and I know they will come through this tragedy with determination and compassion,” Clinton said.

The World Food Programme has issued a $30 million emergency appeal to help 150,000 families in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with 47,000 metric tons of mixed food commodities. News reports quote the International Committee of the Red Cross reporting that up to 2.5 million people across Pakistan may have been affected by the heavy flooding that was brought on by torrential monsoon rains a week ago. More rain has been forecast.

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)