UN to issue Pakistan aid appeal (scale of the destruction has eclipsed the 2004 tsunami)

[Turborama]

Source: Al Jazeera English

The United Nations is launching an urgent appeal for millions of dollars to aid the 13.8 million Pakistanis impacted by the country's worst flooding in 80 years.

"We will soon issue an ... appeal for several hundred million dollars to respond to immediate needs," Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, announced on Tuesday.

The scale of the destruction has now eclipsed that of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Pakistan's 2005 earthquake and the Haiti quake in January, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, although the number of deaths is much lower.

"Those who need humanitarian assistance here are certainly more than those needing assistance in any of the other three disasters," Maurizio Giuliano, an OCHA spokesman told Al Jazeera.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/08/201081093345724786.html

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More on the crisis in Pakistan crisis from Al Jazeera English:

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/floodofmisery/2010/08/201089124315545372.html">'The tears have dried up'
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/08/201088154241972432.html">Diary: Pakistan flood disaster
http://english.aljazeera.net/photo_galleries/centralsasia/201089161838709557.html">Pakistan drowns in misery
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/floodofmisery/2010/08/20108911292844374.html">Southwest monsoon explained
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/asia/2010/08/20108911648579463.html">Food crisis looms in Pakistan (Video)
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/node/2510">All the world's ills in one country

Incredible Footage Of The Devastating Floods In Pakistan (Videos): http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x493368







A lot more pictures of the devastation here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2010/aug/09/pakistan-natural-disasters#/?picture=365580577&index=14

[Jefferson23]

1. Those pictures, just incredible! n/t

[OhioChick]

2. Those pictures make your heart sink

K&R

[Turborama]

3. They really do.

Here's another one which gives an idea of the immensity of the damage that's been done to their crops...

[CJvR]

4. Whoa!

OK that is real bad, and the followup epedemics haven't even started yet.

Given the scale of this even an allout effort would be hard pressed to make a dent in the situation, and that is provided the Talibans don't declare Jihad on the aid workers.

[cosmicone]

5. This is a colossal tragedy...

I sincerely hope the aid actually reaches those who are suffering but it is not very likely. I feel really sorry for the poor people who are caught between nature on one side and the military establishment (which really controls Pakistan) on the other. I'll donate directly to some of the NGOs that do good work at the grass-roots level.

Musharraf, in his memoirs, wrote eloquently about how he diverted the aid for 2005 earthquake victims to shore up and modernise the military.

[OhioChick]

7. " I'll donate..."

Found this for you:

Support UNICEF's disaster relief for the children of Pakistan


https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=8320&8320.donation=form1

[Turborama]

8. Here's some other NGOs that are doing good work at the grass-roots level in Pakistan.

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/allcontent.cfm?id=59


http://www.savethechildren.org/emergencies/asia/pakistan-floods-2010/


http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/10/10081101/index.asp

(edited to fix broken link)

[OhioChick]

9. Thanks for posting these.

:thumbsup:

[JCMach1]

6. US State Dept. Official was on this morning talking about how the still horrible weather

is stopping Pakistani and American relief efforts.