Brussels, 28/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 27 September the European Union announced that it was going to release €15 million additional funding to continue providing immediate relief to the victims of two humanitarian crises in Pakistan. These funds will provide assistance to those affected by the ongoing crisis in the north of the country, as well as to the victims of the major flooding that has hit the south of the country for three consecutive years. With this additional contribution, the European Union's total humanitarian aid to Pakistan for 2012 will reach €70 million.
Food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in Sindh province, have been giving rise to serious concern for some time, and the new flooding which has occurred over the last two weeks risks making the situation still worse, the Commission says. The additional aid will consist, in particular, of emergency food and nutritional assistance, safe drinking water and the rehabilitation of public water points, hygiene and sanitation facilities, basic health care services and emergency shelter, as well as camp coordination and management. It will include disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness components in order to try to alleviate the impact of future natural disasters. (LC/transl.fl)