The FINANCIAL — Brussels, 01 August 2011 – One year after the worst monsoon floods in 80 years, vulnerable populations in Pakistan are still struggling to rebuild their lives and recover from the effects of the disaster.
The European Union continues to support the worst-affected populations with generous humanitarian aid. More than 20 million people were affected by the floods, over 1,900 people died and an estimated 12.5 million required urgent humanitarian assistance.
Kristalina Georgieva, the European Union's Commissioner for crisis response, remembers her visit to the worst-affected areas just weeks after the peak of the floods: "Millions of Pakistanis had been victims of consecutive tragedies – they had lost everything in the conflict that has been raging in their home regions, and then had lost everything again in the floods".
In 2010, the European Commission helped those in the direst need with €150 million in humanitarian assistance. A further €76 million has been committed to cover continuing acute needs in the affected areas such as shelter, water and sanitation, food, livelihood recovery and healthcare.
"In the face of a disaster of such great proportions, massive relief assistance was needed. The European Union was quick to react and provided emergency relief rapidly and efficiently. I am glad that our assistance could reach the most vulnerable – children, women and isolated communities," Commissioner Georgieva said.
The European Union's humanitarian involvement in Pakistan focuses on three separate but interdependent crises:
1. Support for the Afghan refugees living in Pakistan (around 1.7 million people) mostly through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
2. Support for the conflict-affected population and internally displaced persons (1.4 million people) as well as returnees (1.95 million people).
3. Support for the flood-affected population, some of whom are also internally displaced persons, returnees and Afghan refugees.
However, despite the substantial assistance from the EU and the international community, the sheer scale of the disaster has left a lasting imprint on countless lives and livelihoods in Pakistan.
"By commemorating this sad anniversary, we take stock of the work we have done together with our humanitarian partners but, equally importantly, we hope to bring fresh international attention to the humanitarian challenges in Pakistan. This is the only way to help the country raise its resilience to withstand and cope with future emergencies," Commissioner Georgieva said.
"If flooding resumes, millions of people may not be able to cope with the risk to their lives and subsistence," the Commissioner warned.
At the start of a new monsoon season, the humanitarian community is concerned about the lack of resilience and the high vulnerability of the affected populations. The majority of those most severely affected by the 2010 floods were people already living in poverty and in conflict-torn areas. In many cases cash for work and cash grants are being used as an alternative to other kinds of assistance. This allows people to prioritise their own needs and helps rebuild communities and restore sustenance.
The European Commission continues to keep a close eye on the situation in the most affected regions of Pakistan, especially in those that are at the highest risk of new flooding. The Commission is prepared to assist again if the upcoming monsoon season proves to be as destructive as in 2010.
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