Govt, UN Aim Effective Liaison As Millions Await Relief Assistance: FM.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday said current flashfloods had affected around 33 million in the country and stressed joint efforts by the government, international community and the United Nations' donor agencies to overcome the enormous challenge.

Addressing a joint press conference with United Nations Resident Coordinator Julien Harneis at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign minister said rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities were at full swing across the country.

Bilawal said following the initial assessment of the disaster, urgent steps were required by the world, the UN and the partner agencies to cope with the magnitude of the challenge.

He said Pakistan, this monsoon, received three times of the usual rainfall that resulted in floods affecting 23 districts of Sindh and 30 districts of Balochistna, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and South Punjab.

He mentioned that there was a shortage of tents and food items to meet the demands of the flood-affected people and vowed to ensure transparency in disbursement of relief supply items.

He said drainage of water was a big challenge in the low-lying areas inundated with flood water, adding that evacuations were being made despite limited resources.

He said the support of international community would help Pakistan overcome the daunting challenge. He thanked the UN and its agencies in coordinating with the government of Pakistan in carrying out relief activities. He also mentioned the gesture of exemplary generosity by Pakistani people and civil society in mobilizing relief work.

The foreign minister said there was a long-way ahead in effective mitigation of the flood relief and rescue.

To a question regarding the capacity to deal with the challenge, he said joint efforts at federal, provincial and international agencies' levels would overcome the problem.

Bilawal recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Sindh had announced Rs 15 billion as grant. The amount, he said, would not be sufficient viz-a-viz the damage, however would complement the efforts of the provincial government.

Asked about lack of coordination among federal and provincial governments, Bilawal mentioned the efficacy of the data availability under Benazir Income Support System that helped in carrying out the relief activities.

The foreign minister said it was not the time of doing politics over the matter of floods. However, he pointed out that the flood-hit people in Khyber...

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