ISLAMABAD: In response to the President Zardari telephonic
conversation with the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, UN
would undertake rapid need assessment of flood’s situation in Sindh to
launch a formal international appeal for urgent humanitarian assistance
to the affected people.
This was told by the delegation of
United Nations during the meeting with Sulman Farooqi , Principal
Secretary to President here on Monday. The UN delegation was led by
John Ging, Director Response Division United Nations Office
Coordination Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). UN Country Representative
Timo Pakala was also present on the occasion. High officials including
Special Secretary, President’s Secretariat (Public), Secretary Economic
Affairs Division, Chairman, NDMA and Additional Secretary (UN) Ministry
of Foreign Affair assisted Farooqi in the talks.
Farooqi
briefed the current situation of flood and affected people in Sindh .
The UN team acknowledged that the magnitude and scale of disaster was
enormous and could put any relief and rescue system under stress. They
appreciated the relief efforts being made by the government to help the
affected population.
Head of UN delegation John Ging informed
the meeting that the situation was as bad as was described by the
President of Pakistan during his conversation with UN Secretary General
Ban Ki Moon . The scale of devastation was enormous and warranted big
response and generous funding from donors.
He added that the UN
Secretary General was personally monitoring the situation to lead the
efforts by the international community to provide relief and rescue to
the disaster stricken population. He said that UN was making
arrangements to provide food supplies to half a million people for the
next one month. They were also in the process of supplying 20,000 tents
within this week. Principal Secretary to the President, Salman Faruqui
thanked the UN system for promptly responding to the President’s appeal
for help. Online
