Islamabad, 1 September 2022 (TDI): Masatsugu Asakawa, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), assured the Pakistani government on Wednesday that it’ll fully support enhancing resilience and mitigating the repercussions of the climate crisis.

In a statement, the Asian Development Bank head said that the news about the floods in Pakistan is “extremely distressing.”

ADB relief efforts 

In response to the widespread flooding in Pakistan, the Asian Development Bank authorized a $3 million grant to assist the government’s emergency relief efforts.

The grant, funded by the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF), will contribute to financing the urgent procurement of food supplies, tents, and other relief goods to aid flood victims all around the nation.

APDRF is a special fund created to expedite disbursements to ADB developing member countries hit by natural disasters.

ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov stated that ADB stands with the people of Pakistan during these challenging times.

Also, he expressed ADB’s devotion to collaborating with the government and other development partners to overcome the catastrophic effects of the natural disaster and deliver immediate relief to affected families.

ADB Country Director for Pakistan, Yong Ye, said that ADB’s team is also assisting with assessing the damage caused by the floods to develop plans to support longer-term rehabilitation efforts and increase communities’ climate resilience.

ADB concerns over Pakistan

ADB reports that heavy rains across Pakistan have triggered flash floods, landslides, and glacial lake eruptions. In just three weeks in July, the nation recorded more rain than 60% of annual monsoon rainfall.

Consequently, the floods have affected over 33 million people, with over 1,000 documented fatalities and about 1,500 injuries. Currently, close to 500,000 (half a million) people live in relief camps.

Furthermore, food security, agriculture and livestock, health, water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter, and non-food items have been identified as Pakistan’s top priorities in recent torrential floods.

ADB and other partners are working together to support Pakistan’s response. It is being coordinated through the ADB-supported National Disaster Risk Management Fund, which was established to improve Pakistan’s ability to withstand climate change and natural disasters.

Conclusively, while continuing its efforts to end extreme poverty, ADB is dedicated to establishing a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific.

 

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