EU to continue support for Pakistani flood affectees

Brussels: The European Union plans to continue supporting the rebuilding process for the flood victims who are still struggling to return to normal life, officials said.

EU officials believe Pakistani flood affectees need more support for revival and rebuilding.

EU reports suggested the EU mobilised a rapid humanitarian response leveraging humanitarian assistance with civil protection support through in-kind contributions and technical assistance provided by eight EU Member States after the floods occurred.

After the 2022 floods, approximately 1.8 million people were still living near contaminated and stagnant floodwater.

Those who have returned to their place of origin lack key basic services and access to livelihood opportunities, lack basic food items – at risk of sliding into emergency level of hungers – with increasing levels of acute malnutrition & food insecurity reported, said an EU report

It said inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the highest in 50 years (since 1973) representing an increase of 35.4% in March 2023 compared to March 2022.

It should be noted that inflation rates in neighbouring countries stand at 3.5% (Afghanistan), 5.6% (India) and 9.3% (Bangladesh).

“National and international drivers (fuel price hikes, energy costs, devaluation of rupee against dollar increasing prices of food/Non-food imported items, Russia-Ukraine war, etc) suggest that prices will remain high in the coming months,” it said.

The European Commission is providing €16.5 million to assist the most vulnerable people in Pakistan who have been affected by conflict as well as climate-induced disasters.

Of the overall allocation, €15 million will fund humanitarian organisations in Pakistan to provide food assistance, shelter, water and sanitation services as well as supporting Afghan refugees and their host communities.

The other €1.5 million will focus on disaster preparedness programmes to promote climate resilience, foster coordination with local authorities and enhance the response.

The EU mobilised €30 million in humanitarian aid and coordinated the incoming assistance from Member States channelled through its Civil Protection Mechanism in response to the devastating floods that hit Pakistan in summer 2022.

The funding will also ensure continued support to those who lost resources and struggle to recover from the flood disaster.

In summer 2022, Pakistan faced the worst floods in its recent history which affected 33 million people, killing over 1,700 people, and destroying at least 2.2 million houses.

The floods submerged almost a third of the country and massively impacted agricultural production, resulting in a dramatic heightening of humanitarian needs.

The spillover of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is also affecting neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan and Iran, which also continue to deal with cross-border displacement.

Pakistan has hosted refugees for over four decades. The estimated Afghan population in Pakistan amounts to around 3.7 million, including a deemed 1.6 million undocumented Afghans and those of other status.

The EU has allocated over €136 million in humanitarian assistance for Pakistan since 2016 and has been supporting the country since the 1990s, offering support in the wake of major disasters such as the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 and 2015 floods.