Flood fury: Pak sets up national disaster agency, says rebuild would need another USD10 bn

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Islamabad,
Aug
30:
To
combat
the
disaster
due
to
the
floods
in
the
country
that
has
displaced
more
than
33
million
or
one-seventh
of
the
country’s
population,
Pakistan
has
set
up
a
nodal
disaster
agency
and
has
said
that
it
would
need
more
than
USD
10
billion
to
rebuild
the
infrastructure
devastated
by
the
raging
floods.

The
country-wide
death
toll
has
touched
1,136
as
of
Monday,
with
over
1,634
injured
and
33
million
displaced,
according
to
the
latest
data
issued
by
the
National
Disaster
Management
Authority,
the
chief
national
body
tasked
to
deal
with
calamities.

Pakistan’s
Interior
Minister
Ahsan
Iqbal
said
on
Tuesday
that
the
country
would
need
more
than
USD
10
billion
to
rebuild
the
infrastructure
devastated
by
the
raging
floods,
which
roughly
translates
to
3
per
cent
of
the
country’s
GDP.

Pakistan:
IMF
to
provide
.1
billion
after
floods

The
Shehbaz
Sharif-led
federal
government
on
Monday
set
up
the
National
Flood
Response
and
Coordination
Centre,
which
will
comprise
federal
ministers,
representatives
of
armed
forces,
chief
ministers
and
experts
to
provide
proper
institutional
response
to
the
calamity.

“The
Centre
will
serve
as
a
bridge
between
disaster
management
authorities,
donors
and
government
institutions.
It
will
collect
and
analyse
latest
information
and
pass
it
on
to
the
relevant
government
agencies.
It
will
also
oversee
rescue
and
relief
work
including
restoration
of
infrastructure,”
the
PM
Office
tweeted
after
the
meeting.

The
move
comes
as
the
”2022
Pakistan
Floods
Response
Plan
(FRP)” is
being
jointly
launched
by
the
Pakistan
government
and
the
United
Nations
on
Tuesday,
simultaneously
in
Islamabad
and
Geneva.

Foreign
Minister
Bilawal
Bhutto
Zardari
will
deliver
the
keynote
address
at
the
launch
event,
hosted
by
the
Ministry
of
Foreign
Affairs,
followed
by
a
video
message
from
the
UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres,
according
to
the
Foreign
Office.

The
launch
event
will
be
attended
by
all
UN
Member
States
as
well
as
various
humanitarian
organisations
working
in
the
area
of
disaster
relief.

The
FRP
will
complement
Pakistan
government’s
overall
humanitarian
response
to
the
recent
floods
caused
by
unprecedented
rains
in
Pakistan.

Meanwhile,
aid
continued
to
pour
in
as
Canada
announced
aid
worth
USD
5
million,
while
the
Chinese
government
has
pledged
100
million
yuan
to
the
Pakistan
government.

Visuals
of
flood
in
Pakistan
show
devastation
caused
by
rains

After
Queen
Elizabeth,
her
son
Prince
Charles
on
Monday
extended
his
heartfelt
condolences.

In
a
message
to
the
President
of
Pakistan,
Prince
Charles
said,
“My
wife
and
I
are
deeply
saddened
by
the
devastation
caused
by
the
recent
floods
in
Pakistan.
Our
hearts
go
out
to
all
the
victims
and
their
loved
ones
and
to
the
millions
of
people
who
have
lost
property
and
their
livelihoods.”
Heavy
water
flow
downstream
from
the
rivers
in
the
north
is
threatening
to
burst
the
banks
of
the
Indus
river
in
Sindh
province,
the
Express
Tribune
reported.

Sindh
province
continues
to
reel
under
the
onslaught
of
torrential
rains
as
acres
of
fertile
farmlands
have
been
washed
away,
suffering
damages
to
the
tune
of
USD
1.6
billion,
according
to
the
Dawn
newspaper.