UN launches $2.6 billion appeal for flood-hit Pakistan

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

* Money will help fund 483 projects

* New appeal includes $459.7 million requested earlier

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations and its partners on Friday launched an appeal for over $2.6 billion – the largest ever – to help up to 14 million flood victims for one year.

The money would help fund 483 projects, which are to be carried out by 15 UN bodies, the International Organisation for Migration and 156 national and international non-government organisations (NGOs). The new appeal includes $459.7 million requested earlier on August 11. A UN press statement said Pakistan’s development prospects might be disrupted for many years.

“The damage to economic infrastructure and livelihoods is immense. Irrigation, drainage and storage facilities are badly affected. Farmers who lost their crops and who are not able to plant their fields by November are likely to remain dependent on aid until well into 2012. Hundreds of thousands more lost their shops or other small businesses.”

“We are seeing the equivalent of a new disaster every few days,” said Valerie Amos, the UN under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. “Yesterday, new breaches of the embankments of Manchhar Lake flooded more villages. Millions of people have lost everything. Our task is to give people the help they need,” she added. The appeal seeks funding for various sectors, including agriculture; camp coordination and management, community restoration; coordination; education, food, health, logistics, nutrition, protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene. From the initial request of $459 million, 80 percent has been received, leaving a gap of $1.6 billion.

“The size of the revised appeal reflects the enormous human and geographic scale of the catastrophe, and the necessity of putting into place the right kind of early recovery, including projects in agriculture, community restoration, education, health and shelter,” the statement read.