USAID in Pakistan
USAID announced renewed humanitarian commitments to respond to the devastating floods in Pakistan yesterday. Mark Ward, the Acting Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, detailed an additional $20 million in assistance, bringing the US contribution to date to $55 million. “It’s important to note that because this disaster is so vast and we’re seeing how vast more everyday as we get access to areas and as the flood spreads, our contribution may well grow as we get better insight,” Ward said. Yesterday the US was able to move about 100,000 pounds worth of humanitarian commodities and transported more than 700 Pakistanis out of remote areas to get them medical attention. “We will be using members of the international humanitarian community through mechanisms that USAID and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance have in place just for disasters like this so that we can move quickly.”
Am pleased that USAID is (will be) getting $55 million to relief efforts in Pakistan. Would love to know what projects and programs it will support. And while there are a large number of NGO’s working in Pakistan, all doing good works, is there any level of cooperation and coordination among them? If not, should there be or could there be? This is a huge humanitarian crisis and it is not getting the suport it warrants. The UN should be doing so much more. Once again, time for political leaders (think Clinton/Bush) to lend their support and entertainment clebrities to step forward in a “this is the world” concert—-
Sincerely, E. Townsend