ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday announced that it was working “quickly” to provide a “significant” relief and rehabilitation package following catastrophic floods in the country.
In a statement, the ADB said that the package is designed to “support people, livelihoods, and infrastructure immediately and in the long-term”.
For the short and medium-term, the bank said it would use ongoing projects to repair damaged infrastructure, including roads and irrigation infrastructure, and to support the development and financial stability of the agriculture sector to boost food security.
“We’re also processing countercyclical support to help the poor and vulnerable, especially women and children, weather the impacts of food prices and other external shocks,” the ADB said.
Long-term, we’ll prioritise projects that support post-flood reconstruction and strengthen climate and disaster resilience, it added.
“We will provide more details of our new assistance package when it is finalised. We will work closely with the government and other international agencies to help rebuild the lives and livelihoods of the more than 33 million people affected by the disaster,” the ADB concluded, adding that it stood with the people of the country.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached New York to participate in the 77th Session of United Nations General Assembly where he is expected to highlight Pakistan’s climate catastrophe.
“Reached NY a few hours ago to tell Pakistan’s story to the world, a story of deep anguish and pain arising out of a massive human tragedy caused by floods. In my address at UNGA and bilateral meetings, I will present Pakistan’s case on issues that call for world’s immediate attention,” he said.
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.
However, the National Flood Response and Coordination Centre’s (NFRCC) dashboard showed the number to be 16.
Further, the total number of injured has risen to 12,850, the NDMA report showed.
Meanwhile, around 70,000 patients were treated in medical camps set up in flood-hit Sindh during the last 24 hours. A report by the Sindh Directorate General Health Services showed that 2.7 million patients have been treated since July 1.
The report also showed that 14,460 patients were treated for diarrhoea, 13,669 were treated for skin-related diseases, 475 have malaria and 20 have dengue.
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