ADB working on additional aid package for flood victims

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday said it was working quickly to provide a significant relief and rehabilitation package to the flood-hit Pakistan.

The ADB said the package was designed to “support people, livelihoods and infrastructure immediately and in the long term”. “Following the devastating floods in Pakistan, the ADB is working quickly to provide a significant package of relief and rehabilitation,” the bank said in a statement. “We’re also processing countercyclical support to help the poor and vulnerable, especially women and children.”

Record monsoon rains and glacier melting in the country’s northern mountains have triggered flashfloods and rain-induced landslides that have killed hundreds of people, sweeping away houses, roads, railway tracks, bridges, livestock and crops. Huge areas are inundated, and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced out of their homes. The government says the lives of nearly 33 million people have been disrupted. According to the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) latest report, the total number of deaths has risen to 1,559, with 15 reported during the last 24 hours.

The ADB said the planned package was in addition to $3 million the bank already approved for the immediate purchase of food, tents and other relief goods. The bank said it would use ongoing projects to repair damaged infrastructure, including roads and irrigation infrastructure, and support the development and financial stability of the agriculture sector to boost food security in the short and medium-term package. “Long term, we’ll prioritise projects that support post-flood reconstruction and strengthen climate and disaster resilience.”

The ADB said it would provide more details of the new package when it was finalised. “We will work closely with the Pakistani government and other international agencies to help rebuild the lives and livelihoods of more than 33 million people affected by the disaster.”