UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon formally called on the international community to help Pakistan respond to the humanitarian needs of around six million people in flood-hit areas.
“The secretary-general calls for solidarity of the international community in support of disaster management and risk reduction in Pakistan,” his office said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement followed Ban’s discussions with Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon on the worsening situation in Sindh and Balochistan, and his consultations with concerned UN officials.
In Sindh, the World Food Programme, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs completed the first joint assessment of the affected areas.
The rapid assessment was conducted in over 10,600 villages in 17 out of the 22 affected districts a week ago. The findings show that 73% of food crops have been inundated and food losses are estimated at 67%.
A UN official told The Express Tribune that VIP movement by politicians is also hampering relief work.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron called Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and said his country was ready to help the people affected by the devastating rains and floods in Sindh. APP
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