Brussels, 01/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva announced on Friday 1 October that the European Commission is to more than double the funds for emergency aid to Pakistan, bringing the total to €150 million. In total, with the individual contributions of the member states, the EU is providing aid of €320 million to the victims of the floods. At a forthcoming meeting of the “Friends of Democratic Pakistan” (14-15 October), which will also be attended by Catherine Ashton, there may be a decision to increase the level of aid even further, Georgieva announced. More than 20 million people are still being affected by the disaster and more than 12.4 million still need emergency humanitarian aid. “Bearing in mind the scale of the crisis and the suffering of millions of people, the international community needs to substantially scale up its support to the victims of this disaster. This is the only way to avoid even more suffering. My experts in the field confirm that the UN's $2 billion appeal reflects the huge needs faced by the Pakistani people. This is particularly the case in the Southern Sindh Province, where fresh flooding continues”, said the commissioner. (H.B./transl.fl)