UNITED NATIONS, Aug 21 : The General Assembly Friday concluded its two-day discussion on providing urgent humanitarian assistance to flood-stricken Pakistan, with the country’s UN Ambassador thanking the international community for helping his government’s efforts to address the unfolding human tragedy. More than 40 countries announced pledges amounting to $254.5 million at the 192-member assembly’s special session, bringing the aid total since the natural disaster struck Pakistan to $815.59 million.“The message from here to the people of Pakistan is, do not give up hope. It is difficult. It will take time, but we have standing with us the community of the world,” Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon told the assembly as it wound up the discussion in which 49 countries took part on Friday.
Pakistan’s delegation to the assembly’s special session was led by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who termed his hectic four-day visit as “highly successful.” In his speech, Haroon said the initial outpouring from member states was “indeed heartening” and “a good beginning,” though he stressed that the country will need much more help in the months and years to come.
At the start of the meeting on Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said donors had given just half of the $460 million the U.N. appealed for to provide food, shelter and clean water for to up to 8 million flood victims over the next three months. But on Friday, the target was more than met. Aid groups and U.N. officials had worried about a slow response to the flooding, theorizing that donors who have spent heavily on a string of huge disasters in recent years were reluctant to open their wallets yet again.
Haroon thanked the United Nations - especially the U.N. chief, who flew to Pakistan, and General Assembly President Ali Abdessalam Treki, who called the aid meeting - for showing compassion and taking action when others didn’t.
The Pakistan ambassador said in the past three weeks, three more districts in Pakistan had come under water. The figure of people affected was no longer 20 million—it was now closer to 22 million.
The floods were one of the great natural disasters of history, Haroon told tghe delegates. Many asked why there were only 1,500 casualties. The truth was that the full number of the dead was still unknown, since there was currently no access to the rivers where many more dead people were presumed to be.
He thanked the ICRC for its role and the efforts of the Asian
Development Bank to raise $2 billion for Pakistan’s needs. Much more would be needed, but that was a good beginning.
To critics of the United Nations, Haroon said they should go to Pakistan to see that the Organization and its agencies were within 48 hours available to assist the country and people on the ground.
He thanked the Secretary-General for his compassion for Pakistan.
He expressed hope that the current skepticism would produce more transparency in the handling of the disaster relief effort.
The United Nations was coordinating efforts on the ground, with the oversight as well of Pakistani agencies.
At the start of the meeting on Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said donors had given just half of the $460 million the U.N. appealed for to provide food, shelter and clean water for to up to 8 million flood victims over the next three months. But on Friday, the target was more than met. Aid groups and U.N. officials had worried about a slow response to the flooding, theorizing that donors who have spent heavily on a string of huge disasters in recent years were reluctant to open their wallets yet again.
Haroon thanked the United Nations - especially the U.N. chief, who flew to Pakistan, and General Assembly President Ali Abdessalam Treki, who called the aid meeting - for showing compassion and taking action when others didn’t.
The Pakistan ambassador said in the past three weeks, three more districts in Pakistan had come under water. The figure of people affected was no longer 20 million—it was now closer to 22 million.
The floods were one of the great natural disasters of history, Haroon told tghe delegates. Many asked why there were only 1,500 casualties. The truth was that the full number of the dead was still unknown, since there was currently no access to the rivers where many more dead people were presumed to be.
He thanked the ICRC for its role and the efforts of the Asian
Development Bank to raise $2 billion for Pakistan’s needs. Much more would be needed, but that was a good beginning.
To critics of the United Nations, Haroon said they should go to Pakistan to see that the Organization and its agencies were within 48 hours available to assist the country and people on the ground.
He thanked the Secretary-General for his compassion for Pakistan.
He expressed hope that the current skepticism would produce more transparency in the handling of the disaster relief effort.
The United Nations was coordinating efforts on the ground, with the oversight as well of Pakistani agencies.
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