UN requests US$357 million to help Pakistan
The money will be allocated to Pakistanis affected by the floods that damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and destroyed millions of acres of crops.
The United Nations (UN) today requested US$357 million to help Pakistanis affected by floods that have damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and destroyed millions of acres of crops. Pakistan suffers from floods resulting from monsoon rains that affect most of South Asia between June and September.
This year, the rains were heavier than normal, arriving at a time when many people were still trying to recover from the 2010 floods, which were the worst in the country's history. The amount requested by the UN will be used to help more than 5.4 million people in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan over the next six months, said Humaira Mehboob, spokesperson for the organization's humanitarian arm. These provinces were the most affected by the floods this year.
In Sindh alone, the floods have killed 223 people and destroyed approximately 665 homes, leaving more than 1,8 million people homeless, according to a plan released today by the UN. "The situation of those forced to leave their homes is dire, and there is clear evidence of growing humanitarian needs," the response plan stated. (Information from the Associated Press.)