The United Nations and the Pakistani government will formally appeal to the UN tomorrow, Tuesday, for a donation of $160 million to fund emergency aid in Pakistan, which has been swept by unprecedented floods, the UN secretary-general’s spokesman said today.
Tens of millions of Pakistanis are battling to cope with the worst monsoon rains in three decades, which have killed 1,136 people, swept away countless homes and destroyed vital farmland affecting 33 million people.
And “the situation is expected to worsen, with the rains continuing,” Stefan Dujarric, spokesman for Antonio Guterres, told a press briefing.
In this context “together with the government, we foresee an urgent appeal for 160 million dollars for emergency aid activities”, he said clarifying that this will be done tomorrow.
The UN has already mobilized $7 million, mostly by redirecting money from other programs to fund the most urgent needs,” “food, water, medical supplies, maternal health, shelter…,” he explained. And an additional $3 million released by the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Miftah Ismail announced that his country would consider importing vegetables from its number one rival, India, to mitigate the effects of the floods as food prices have risen sharply.
“We can consider importing vegetables from India,” the minister told local Geo News TV
Turkey and Iran could also be other options, he said.
The UN mobilization was announced as the International Monetary Fund approved the restart of a bailout loan for Pakistan, as a third of the country faces the worst monsoon rains and is already plagued by a severe economic crisis, the finance minister said.
“We are expected to receive the 7th tranche and 8th tranche of $1.7 billion,” Miftah Ismail said in a message on Twitter.
Many anti-people measures have been decided in recent months by the Shabaz Sharif government that came to power in April. Among them, increasing energy prices by more than 50% and introducing a surtax on corporate profits.
Islamabad has currently received $3 billion under this loan program and wants it extended until June 2023.
Source: Capital
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