Pakistan seeks aid for flood victims

MANILA, Philippines - The Pakistan embassy has appealed to the Filipino people for support to alleviate the sufferings of Pakistanis affected by the massive floods that have devastated the country since last month.

In a letter to The STAR, Counselor Ahman Hussain Dayo said that “aid is getting through but there is still a massive amount

of work to be done and the logistical challenges are huge because of the continuing rains.

“The international communities including the people of the Philippines are already making generous contributions. Our thanks go to everyone who has already made a donation. But there needs to be a bigger and better response to this crisis,” he noted.

The embassy thanked the Filipino people and the Philippine media for their support to the flood victims in Pakistan, which have helped in the rescue and relief operations with the assistance of the international community.

“The support and solidarity of the Philippines in this hour of crisis when Pakistan is faced with great human tragedy and devastation from the worst monsoon floods in living memory are deeply appreciated. We also count on their future cooperation for helping the flood affected people in rehabilitation and reconstruction phase,” Dayo added.

The Department of Health (DOH) had earlier given assurance that it was ready to mobilize a humanitarian mission that could provide rehabilitation and relief assistance to the flood victims but it has not received a request from Pakistan.

The Philippines had already sent humanitarian missions in disaster-affected areas in Indonesia, Myanmar and Haiti, which were hit by tsunami, cyclone and earthquake in the past, respectively.

DOH officials said that the department has not yet received any official communication from Pakistan regarding a request for assistance.

Dayo said the people of Pakistan are facing a “public health catastrophe after the worst floods in living memory.”

He said the flood had submerged an area bigger than Ireland and affected 20 million people, including seven million children.

This is more than the combined total number of victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 2005 Kashmir earthquake and 2010 Haiti earthquake. Now, deadly waterborne diseases, like cholera, threaten to compound the suffering of the victims.