Brussels, 17/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is to boost its funding for emergency relief to Pakistan by another €6.5 million. The Commission announced on Monday 17 October that funds will be provided from ECHO's budget (the Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection service) to bring water and shelter, food and medical care to the victims of the monsoon floods, especially in Sindh province. € 98 million for humanitarian assistance has been provided so far in 2011 (€86 million from the EC and €12 million from the EU member states).
Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, underlined in a press release that “for many people still recovering from last year's floods, the situation is catastrophic. Our teams of experts in the country have confirmed the urgent need for assistance, so we are answering the call.”
Commission emergency aid can be mobilised in 72 hours and is channelled through its humanitarian partners on the field, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), specialised UN agencies, and the Red Cross/Crescent movement. The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) has deployed an EU civil protection team of five experts to Pakistan to co-ordinate EU assistance. The flooding last August is affecting over 5.4 million people and has so far displaced more than 1.8 million, with the provinces of Sindh and Baluchistan most severely affected. (AN/transl.fl)