UN HOLDS HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON PAKISTAN, FEW NEW CONTRIBUTIONS
Baku, September 20 (AZERTAC). A high-level meeting on Pakistan`s flood crisis held at the United Nations yielded only a few new contributions to a $2 billion humanitarian appeal. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hosted the meeting Sunday evening ahead of the U.N.`s annual gathering this week.
The session was intended to signal the international community`s solidarity with the 20 million Pakistanis whose lives have been devastated by weeks of flooding caused by monsoon rains.
It comes on the heels of Friday`s largest U.N. humanitarian appeal ever, asking for more than $2 billion for the next 12 months to assist flood victims. Those funds are designated for nearly 500 projects covering essential sectors such as housing, food, water, sanitation, hygiene and agriculture.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told participants that this is one of the most complex natural disasters the United Nations has ever faced. "The flooding has affected an estimated 20 million people and 20 percent of Pakistan`s land. Eight to 12 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance," he said. Although nations expressed their solidarity with the Pakistani people, there were few new contributions - mainly modest ones from Spain and Germany. Australia said it is increasing its aid to $75 million and Iran to $100 million, but it is not clear how big an increase that represents.
Other news in this section
