LAHORE: The European Union (EU) has approved another Rs30 billion grant for the flood hit areas of Pakistan.
Under five agreements between Pakistan and the EU, Ambassador Rina Cuenca and secretary economic affairs signed the agreements. The purpose of the grant is to assist Pakistan in the post-flood scenario.
Earlier, The European Union has released an additional €1 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the floods that have affected Pakistan in the past weeks which directly or indirectly affected some 900,000 people.
According to a press release issued here Monday, the funding will help address the most pressing needs of vulnerable people in the provinces of Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as the areas hit the hardest. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, said: “One year after the tragic floods that caused tremendous suffering in Pakistan, the EU remains committed to helping those most in need. As a new rain season has again displaced thousands of people in parts of the country, this additional EU funding will help support vulnerable communities as they try to recover their former lives.”
This allocation will be used to provide multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance to those who remain dis-placed, as well as those who have returned to their place of origin, given the level of damage to hous-es and key basic services, such as water and sanitation or health. As the winter season approaches, multi-purpose cash assistance, shelter and non-food items will be prioritised.
This new funding comes in addition to the €16.5 million already allocated in humanitarian assistance to Pakistan earlier this year, in order to assist the most vulnerable population affected by conflict and cli-mate-induced disasters. –Agencies
