Pakistan: UN and Government request additional funding for post-flood recovery

The United Nations and the Pakistani Government today jointly requested $440 million to help people affected by last year’s floods in the south of the country recover their sources of livelihood, including agriculture, restore basic social services, and repair damaged infrastructure.

More than five million people, according to UN figures, were affected by the floods that affected much of the country and hit the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan the hardest.

“The Floods Early Recovery Framework is a collaborative effort of the Government, the UN and civil society to bridge relief to recovery,” said Timo Pakkala, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, at the launch of the recovery plan in the capital, Islamabad.

“It is critical that the international community support this effort to make communities safer, more resilient, and better prepared in the event of possible future flooding and other disasters.”

During the early recovery phase, the Government and the UN and partners will also support communities through planning and exploring solutions to reduce the impact the floods by implementing measures to boost resilience and disaster preparedness.

“We highly appreciate the unflinching support and assistance provided by the international community to the people of Pakistan, during these testing times,” said Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Planning and Development.

An initial rapid response plan for the 2011 floods launched in September is currently funded at 47 per cent, having received $168 million of the $356 million requested for humanitarian and early recovery needs until March this year.

The Government, the UN and partners have supplied food to more than three million people and provided emergency shelter to an estimated 450,000 households. More than 1.2 million people have received clean drinking water, while 1.35 million others have been assisted with essential medicines and emergency health care.

Further funding is critical, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), with many people still at risk, particularly when they return to their villages and need assistance to rebuild their lives.