US envoy highlights valuable contributions of US-Pakistani diaspora for flood affectees

Islamabad: US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on Wednesday highlighted the valuable contributions of the US-Pakistani diaspora and the private sector at a US Agency for International Development (USAID) conference aimed at building back better for flood-affected communities in Pakistan.

The United States government had pledged more than $200 million to date to support flood relief and recovery efforts, disaster resilience, and food security, while the US-Pakistani diaspora had contributed about $42 million, the ambassador said.

Ambassador Blome emphasized the longstanding US-Pakistan partnership to advance Pakistan’s economic growth and social and humanitarian causes, said a US Embassy news release.

He highlighted the need for strengthening climate resilience through the US-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework and expressed the US commitment to helping the US-Pakistani diaspora and Pakistan-based private companies find opportunities to strengthen climate resilience, pursue energy transformation, and foster economic growth and development outcomes.

The conference continued the momentum built at the December 20, 2022, and January 25 moots in Islamabad where USAID signed a combined six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) mobilizing $75 million.

The discussions held in those conferences led to mobilizing additional contributions and investments to help populations and areas affected by floods.

In today’s conference on ‘Building Back Better’, USAID signed three MoUs with a Pakistan-based US company and US- Pakistani diaspora entities, mobilizing $78 million.

More than 200 participants attended the conference, including members of the US-Pakistani diaspora, prominent local business leaders, US business representatives, and Pakistani officials.

Attendees discussed ways to help the flood affected population and communities at the ‘Building Back Better’ conference.

“The United States remains firmly committed to engaging and partnering with the US-Pakistani diaspora and the private sector to address Pakistan’s challenges in the technology, humanitarian, social, and commercial sectors, and to further Pakistan’s development goals,” the news release said.