UK announces £1.5m for flood relief efforts in Pakistan

The UK has approved up to £1.5 million as urgent support for Pakistan after flooding in the country killed at least 900 people, the British High Commission in Islamabad said on Saturday.

At least 950 people have been killed in Pakistan while millions were rendered homeless as rains and flash floods continued to wreak havoc in different parts of the country.

Abnormal monsoon rains have entered their eighth spell with no signs of subsiding, submerging more than half of Pakistan under water as flight and train operations, as well as phone services, remain suspended in flood-hit areas.

'Calamity-hit Pakistan': rescue operations continue as high-level floods create havoc

The statement noted that the £1.5m of humanitarian funding is being allocated from existing support to Pakistan and will go to the relief efforts in the areas worst hit by the flooding.

The UK pledged over £55m to partner with Pakistan to fight climate change, manage water more sustainably and unlock climate investment in November 2021 during the COP26 Conference in Glasgow.

The statement added that the UN is carrying out a needs assessment over the weekend, and a UN appeal is expected to be launched on Tuesday.

Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South and Central Asia, North Africa, UN and the Commonwealth and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, said: "The floods in Pakistan have devastated local communities and the UK is providing up to £1.5 million to help the immediate aftermath. We are witnessing the catastrophe that climate change can cause and how it impacts the most vulnerable."

"My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families, and I would like to pay tribute to everyone involved in the relief efforts. We are also working directly with the Pakistan authorities to establish what further assistance and support they require. The UK stands with the people of Pakistan during this time of need."

During the 2020 floods in Pakistan, the UK announced a £800,000 aid package through the National Disaster Consortium (NDC) and provided immediate relief in rural Sindh where many had lost their homes. It also provided life-saving clean water, sanitation, and shelter to over 55,000 vulnerable people in Pakistan to help them recover from the devastating floods.