DNA

ISLAMABAD:  British High Commissioner, Dr Christian Turner, visited flood affected communities in Mirpur Khas District, Sindh, and saw first-hand the delivery of lifesaving assistance by Concern Worldwide, an NGO being funded by the UK.

Accompanied by the Concern Worldwide Acting Country Director, Sherzada Khan, Dr Christian Turner met with relief workers and community leaders to better understand the scale of the situation in Sindh and ascertain how further UK assistance could be utilised. He also visited a cash assistance programme and primary health care centre, which was being funded, in part, by an initial tranche of £1.55m committed by the UK right at the start of the flood crisis.

To date, the UK has committed a total of £16.5m to support flood relief efforts and the British public have donated over £25m via the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Pakistan Appeal. This appeal has notably been supported by the England men’s cricket team, who are touring Pakistan for the T20s, with the team making a personal donation which was then matched by the England Cricket Board. In addition to this, last week a UK Royal Air Force flight delivered 8 boats and 10 portable generators gifted in kind by the UK’s Ministry of Defence for use in flood relief operations.

Whilst visiting Mirpur Khas, Dr Christian Turner, said the following:

“Pakistan faces a growing flood-fuelled public health crisis. UKAid is helping with shelter, clean water and emergency healthcare. But also we must rebuild smarter to be resilient against future climate disasters.”