US military says preparing flood aid to Pakistan

WASHINGTON/RAWALPINDI: The United States is conducting a military aid mission to flood-devastated Pakistan, the US armed forces’ Central Command said Friday.

“CENTCOM is sending an assessment team to Islamabad to determine what potential support DoD (the US Department of Defense) can provide... as part of the United States’ assistance to the flooding crisis in Pakistan,” spokesman Colonel Joe Buccino said in a statement.

The decision followed a telephone conversation Thursday between CENTCOM commander General Erik Kurilla and Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the spokesman said.

Monsoon rains have submerged a third of Pakistan, claiming at least 1,190 lives since June and unleashing powerful floods that have washed away swathes of vital crops and damaged or destroyed more than a million homes.

Authorities have blamed climate change, which is increasing the frequency and strength of extreme weather events. Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner called on COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters here on Friday.During the meeting, matters of mutual interest and regional security including bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed, said a statement issued by the ISPR.

Turner expressed his grief over the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan and offered condolence to the families of those who died. He offered UK’s support to the people of Pakistan at this hour of need.

He appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for regional stability and pledged to play his role in enhancing cooperation with Pakistan at all levels. General Bajwa thanked Turner for UK’s support and reiterated that assistance from their global partners would be vital in rehabilitation of flood-affected people.