As part of the UK’s aid package, £2 million worth of relief items for the most vulnerable people affected by the devastating floods arrived in Pakistan from the UAE on Tuesday.
The relief items include emergency shelters for up to 194,300 people, and blankets and mats for up to 10,000 people. The emergency shelters include coverage and fixing kits, poles and peg sets. The UK will also provide water filters and hygiene supplies for 32,495 people to mitigate health risks. The first shipment of 19 containers arrived at the Karachi port on Tuesday with another 26 scheduled to follow in the coming days and weeks.
To date, the UK has committed a total of £16.5m to support flood relief efforts and the British public have donated over £25m via the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Pakistan Appeal. This appeal has notably been supported by the England men’s cricket team, who are currently touring Pakistan for the T20s, with the team making a personal donation which was then matched by the England Cricket Board.
Earlier this month a UK Royal Air Force flight delivered 8 boats and 10 portable generators gifted in kind by the UK’s Ministry of Defence for use in flood relief operations. Meanwhile, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are also offering free relief shipments in their cargo.
British Deputy High Commissioner, Karachi, Sarah Mooney, said: “This UK aid shipment is the first of multiple consignments addressing the immediate needs of the people of Pakistan affected by the devastating floods. The UK will continue to provide assistance both in cash and in kind to ensure that communities not only rebuild but are also resilient to future calamities.”
As per the details provided by the British high Comission in Pakistan, the initial UK aid of £1.55 million is being spent to provide critical lifesaving assistance in Sindh (£900,000) and Baluchistan (£650,000).
In Sindh, UK financed aid is reaching people of Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, and Jacobabad. This aid aims to support 7,600 households (approximately 63,200 persons; households are counted as 6.7 people per household) with time-critical and lifesaving assistance through: access to flexible multi-purpose cash assistance, ensuring their increased access to primary health care and improved hygiene services. The assistance integrates particular focus on vulnerable population including children, women and girls, elderly people, and people with disabilities.
According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Agency, the flooding in Pakistan has destroyed or damaged 2m houses, with 546,000 people now living in relief camps. The disaster has also damaged 12,716 km of roads and damaged 22,000 schools. In total 745 health centers have been damaged or destroyed.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched the Pakistan Floods Appeal and has raised over £25 million for relief efforts. The UK government has matched pound for pound the first £5 million of public donations, as part of the total £15 million additional pledge made last month.
UAE is strategic hub for UK aid and holds approximately 80% of the UK’s global aid supplies. From the UAE, emergency relief items can be moved quickly to many disaster hot spots due to its prime location.
