Working 'quickly' to provide 'significant' relief package to flood-hit Pakistan: ADB

Islamabad: Amidst outpouring of international support and sympathy for flood-hit Pakistan, the Asian Development Bank on Tuesday said that it was working "quickly" to provide a "significant" relief and rehabilitation package to the country.

In a statement, the ADB said that the package is designed to "support people, livelihoods, and infrastructure immediately and in the long-term".

"Following the devastating floods in Pakistan, ADB is working quickly to provide a significant package of relief and rehabilitation," the bank said.

It said that for the short and medium-term, it would use ongoing projects to repair damaged infrastructure, including roads and irrigation infrastructure, and to support the development and financial stability of the agriculture sector to boost food security.

"We're also processing countercyclical support to help the poor and vulnerable, especially women and children, weather the impacts of food prices and other external shocks," the ADB said.

It said that for long-term, "we’ll prioritise projects that support post-flood reconstruction and strengthen climate and disaster resilience." "We will provide more details of our new assistance package when it is finalised. We will work closely with the government and other international agencies to help rebuild the lives and livelihoods of the more than 33 million people affected by the disaster,” the bank said.

At least 1,559 people have died in the floods that submerged a third of the country following record rains in the last three decades, according to the data provided by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Meanwhile, Hollywood star Angelina Jolly visited the flood-hit areas of Sindh to support the relief efforts. Sindh was badly hit and as water began to recede, water-borne diseases were threatening the people.

Official in-charge of the irrigation cell for Manchhar Lake, Sher Mohammad Mallah, told Dawn that the water level was at 120.4 feet reduced level. He also said that water in nine union councils of Sehwan had reduced by three feet, but there was still at least five feet of water in the villages.

Around 70,000 patients were treated in medical camps set up in Sindh during the last 24 hours, according to a report by the Sindh Directorate General Health Services, which also showed that 2.7 million patients have been treated since July 1.

The report further said that 14,460 patients were treated for diarrhoea, 13,669 were treated for skin-related diseases, 475 have malaria and 20 have dengue.

Separately, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, who is heading the National Flood Response and Coordination Centre’s (NFRCC), said two-thirds of the country had been affected by floods, and urged well-to-do people to come forward to help the affected people.

During a press conference, he said that the government was working on introducing an “adopt a district program” so that flood-affected areas could be provided support from areas that had been spared.

"We are sending requests to the provincial government for this program,” he said.