UN refugees' agency UNHCR has expressed gratitude to the government of Japan for extending donation of US dollars one million for the agency' flood response, here on Tuesday. The agency has carried out relief operation in Sindh flood-hit areas through which distributed thousands of tents and other emergency relief supplies among flood victims.
The Japanese funds will be used to support the UN refugee agency's commitment to supply 70,000 family tents and 70,000 emergency household kits to the families made homeless by severe flooding that has left large areas of Sindh and parts of Balochistan under water.
Efforts to provide shelter to those who have taken refugee on high ground in the flood zone continued Tuesday in the districts of Sanghar and Mirpurkhas in Sindh. Nearly 3,000 tents and household kits as well as 5,000 plastic sheets, which can be used as rudimentary shelters, have so far been distributed in southern Sindh. The items are handed over to the National Rural Support Programme, which has been constructing small tent villages. Some of the hardest hit areas, such as Badin and Thatta, were the first to receive the flood relief.
"Despite surviving a devastating tsunami itself earlier this year, Japan continues to be a strong supporter of global humanitarian efforts," said Mengesha Kebede, UNHCR Representative in Pakistan. "Japan is one of the largest donors to UNHCR in Pakistan and once again it has demonstrated its commitment to helping those in need." The agency is seeking a US $33.2 million from donors in order to allow it to assist the affectees, many of whom were only just beginning to recover from last year's devastating floods.
The National Disaster Management Authority has said that nearly nine million people have been affected by flooding in Sindh, with another 14,000 flood victims in Balochistan.