- the UK will provide an additional £10 million of life-saving humanitarian support for Pakistan’s flood relief efforts
- Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK Minister of State for South Asia (FCDO), arrives in Pakistan today [Friday 14 October]
- the Minister will meet with key government counterparts, community leaders, and aid agencies to discuss the response to the humanitarian crisis and long-term recovery for the country
The UK is providing further humanitarian support to Pakistan following the devastating floods that have killed over a thousand people and affected more than 33 million.
As part of a visit to the country, FCDO Minister Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon has today announced a further £10 million of humanitarian aid, bringing the UK Government’s total contribution to £26.5 million.
The extra support will be spent on urgent life-saving needs such as providing shelter, water and sanitation to prevent waterborne diseases. It will focus on supporting people who are still displaced and those that are returning to their land, by helping re-establish communal water supplies.
During his visit to Pakistan, Lord Ahmad will meet the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and other government counterparts to discuss the impact of the floods, visit the areas most affected and speak with key UK-funded aid agencies on the ground in Sindh.
UK Minister of State for South Asia, FCDO, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon said: “The UK continues to help the people of Pakistan recover from the recent devastating floods.
“Our support will help to tackle the spread of waterborne diseases and to improve access to clean water, sanitation, medical care and shelter across the country.
“We are working night and day with Pakistan and our international partners to ensure that UK aid reaches the hardest hit areas.
“As well as helping with urgent life-saving needs, the UK is supporting Pakistan’s economic recovery and resilience against future climate disasters.
“The UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme will help grow trade by giving duty-free access to 94% of goods exported from Pakistan to the UK.”
In addition to the UK’s £26.5 million donation in humanitarian funding, a UK Royal Air Force flight recently delivered eight boats and ten portable generators for use in flood relief operations.
As well as discussing the floods, the Minister will also use this visit to raise the need for strong international support for Ukraine following Russia’s illegal annexation of sovereign territory, and reaffirm the strong people-to-people links between the UK and Pakistan in the context of the 75 year anniversary of Pakistan’s independence.
- According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Agency, the flooding in Pakistan has destroyed or damaged 2 million houses, with 546,000 people now living in relief camps. The disaster has also damaged 12,716 km of roads and 22,000 schools. In total, 745 health centres have been damaged or destroyed
- today’s announcement takes the total UK contribution to the floods response to £26.5 million. £21.5 million is going to the relief efforts in the areas worst-hit by the flooding. The remaining £5 million will go directly to the Disasters Emergency Committee Pakistan Floods Appeal, after the UK government match funded pound for pound the first £5 million of DEC donations by the UK public. Further donations can be made at www.dec.org.uk or by calling 0330 678 1000
- British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are offering free relief shipments, in their cargo, of any aid goods being sent from the UK to Pakistan
- the DEC appeal has notably been supported by the England men’s cricket team, who were touring Pakistan for the T20s last month, with the team making a personal donation which was then matched by the England Cricket Board
- the UK pledged over £55 million to partner with Pakistan to fight climate change, manage water more sustainably and unlock climate investment in November 2021 during the COP26 Conference in Glasgow
