U.S. Senator (Kerry) warns of instability if Pakistan unaided

[Turborama]

Source: Reuters

Flood-striken Pakistan urgently needs more international aid to combat potential instability and extremism, a U.S. official said, as hunger and disease threaten millions of victims.

In an commentary published in Monday's International Herald Tribune, U.S. Senator John Kerry wrote that the international community is not meeting its responsibilities towards the south Asian nation, where floods have killed more than 1,600 people and left at least six million homeless.

"The danger of the floods extends beyond a very real humanitarian crisis," Kerry wrote.

"A stable and secure Pakistan, based on democracy and the rule of law, is in all of our interests. Pakistan has made enormous strides in combating extremism and terrorism - at great sacrifice. But its ability to keep up the fight requires an effective response to this crisis."

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67S0BP20100830

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I've been looking for it on http://global.nytimes.com/?iht">the IHT's site and haven't found it yet. Will add the commentary when it goes online...

Related article: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4515345">US reviews priorities of ($7.5Billion) Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill (for Pakistan's reconstruction)

Latest/recent news related articles, photos & videos (so much has been added that the archives are relatively new): http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Turborama

Pakistan Floods In Numbers: Latest UN Figures Show That Millions Are Still Waiting For Emergency Aid

Last Modified: Aug 30 2010 04:31 Doha Time

As towns and villages in southern Pakistan are evacuated, waters are receding in some areas in the north and in Punjab in the east of the country.

But the question of aid looms large in a country where millions are still waiting for emergency aid.

The latest figures gathered by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Pakistan show that:

160,000 km2 - is affected by the floods, an area greater than the size of the England

17,2 million - people are affected by the flooding nationwide

1,2 million - homes are destroyed or damaged

800,000 - people are still cut off by the floods

10,916 - schools have been damaged

6,097 - schools are being used as shelter for displaced families

1,600 – people are confirmed to have died in the floods

2,366 – people are confirmed injured

141 - is Pakistan's ranking out of 182 countries on the Human Development Index

The world's foremost group of Islamic states has pledged nearly $1bn to help flood-relief efforts. This comes on top of the $1bn already promised by foreign donors.

$15 billion - is the cost of reconstructing Pakistan, according to a Pakistani diplomat

$460 million - was appealed for by the UN for the Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan

64% - of the Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan is now funded

$90 million - is the shortage faced by the World Food Programme in funding

Top ten donors to Pakistan:

1. United States - $156m 2. Saudi Arabia - $74m 3. United Kingdom - $65m 4. Private individuals and organisations - $57m 5. European Commission - $56m 6. Australia - $32m 7. Central Emergency Response Fund - $30m 8. Canada - $29m 9. China - $18m 10. Sweden - $17m

(Compiled by OCHA on the basis of information provided by donors and appealing organizations)

Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/08/201083031457610208.html

[saltpoint]

1. I believe Senator Kerry is right and is

offering very sound advice, as usual.

The United States requires a healthy relationship with Pakistan, including right now and for the next several generations. Kerry's counsel here addresses both times.

[OhioChick]

5. +1 n/t

[Scuba]

2. Yes, it would be terrible if...

...Pakistan became unstable.

That said, we should help our brothers and sisters in their time of need.

[cornermouse]

3. We can not afford to hand out any more aid

when so many within our borders are in just as much trouble as they are. The nation is broke.

[blm]

4. Want to calculate the costs in blood and treasure when Taliban get hold of Pakistan's nukes...

None of this shit would be happening at all if key matters regarding this region weren't deepsixed throughout the 90s.

[karynnj]

6. Very true

It is always sad when you can see points decades before when doing the right thing - rather than taking a politically easier road could have led to a far better situation.

The fact that there is a very fragile democratic government there with many flaws, but the best chance in a long time to not have the ISI and the military actually in control. That government was fragile before this flood - and this makes it more so. (It also didn't help that the President was in Europe when the floods started.) This is a desperate situation that could impact the future of that entire area.

[cosmicone]

8. Any civilian government in Pakistan will always be weak

as long as the military is fed and weaponized to rule with terror.

All our aid should consist of food, medicine, temporary housing, fertilizers, seeds, irrigation systems etc. and not fighter jets, radar systems, submarines and artillery. Also, no cash donations which are frequently misappropriated by the Pakistani military.

[karynnj]

9. That is what Senator Kerry is leading the effort to change

The Kerry/Lugar/Berman money is all about non-military money and they have fought with the State department and Pakistan to insure that there is greater accountability.

There has not been a strong civilian government, but that does not mean that there never ccould be one - and if you watch any SFRC hearings (or the House ones), there is no way they don't know this.

[karynnj]

7. I agree that there are great needs here, but the US still can help others

and here there is a pressing political need that exists in addiction to the incredible humanitarian need. Senator Kerry is well aware of the financial situation in the US - however he sees the criticality of Pakistan in our foreign policy.

If you remember John Edwards' comments, which many earlier politicians said first, there are two Americas. Over the last 4 decades the gap between the two Americas has expanded - most drastically in the 1990s, when everyone gained but the rich gained far more. The trouble here could more easily be dealt with by not extending the Bush tax cuts and reducing our military efforts.

Every dollar given to US efforts to aid Pakistan in their time of need could be part of the key for untying the knots in how to find a way out of Afghanistan with Afghanis and Pakistanis not providing an Al Qaeda shelter.

Cutting the war expenses and increasing tax revenues will let us rebuild our infrastructure and deal with problems here.