The President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, called today on all parliaments to help ensure that timely and generous assistance is provided to the people of Pakistan.
"The floods that have engulfed Pakistan are undoubtedly the worst human disaster visited upon a people anywhere in the world in recent history," said Dr. Gurirab. "Twenty million people are reported to be affected by the floods and at least eight million of them are in urgent need of life-saving support in the form of shelter, food, clean water, and health care."
The United Nations has undertaken a preliminary assessment of immediate needs and is calling for almost half a billion dollars to be contributed to the Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan, which was launched last week. The IPU President urged parliaments to discuss, as a matter of urgency, how best their countries can assist in meeting these needs.
"These unprecedented floods demand unprecedented assistance," declared the IPU President.
President Gurirab also reminded parliaments that Pakistan will need their continuous support. “As the waters recede, the government and people of Pakistan need longer term assistance. Farmers will need seeds, fertilizers and tools to replant. Education, health and nutrition need to be restored quickly. The huge damage to the infrastructure must be repaired."
"In short, the people of Pakistan will need international support to build back their country and pick up the pieces of their lives," concluded the IPU President.
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