US announces additional $10 mln for flood relief assistance for Pakistan
In addition to the previously announced $56.5 million in flood relief and humanitarian aid, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced an additional $10 million in food security support to the people of Pakistan.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called on his US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department building in Washington. The two leaders discussed bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest.
The spokesperson said, “Secretary expressed sorrow over the devastation and loss of life throughout Pakistan caused by catastrophic flooding”.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said FM Bilawal apprised Secretary Blinken about the devastation caused by the cataclysmic floods with more than 33 million people displaced and a huge loss of lives and livelihoods. He highlighted the relief efforts of the Government and people of Pakistan and thanked the U.S. government for its assistance.
The foreign minister said no country could deal with a crisis of this proportion on its own. He emphasized that Pakistan is one of the lowest emitters and was ironically one of the most severely impacted by climate change. The foreign minister said that Pakistan was seeking climate Justice and looked toward its partners to assist us in recovering from this climate-induced calamity.
FM Bilawal said that Pakistan was committed to building back better, greener and climate-resilient infrastructure in areas such as irrigation, communication, energy, agri-technology, and health. Immediate action is required to help developing countries effectively face the climate crisis.
The foreign minister underscored the historic and growing importance of the Pakistan-US relationship in promoting peace, security, and economic prosperity in the region. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening and broadening its ties with the U.S., particularly in the areas of trade and investment and underlined that both countries were celebrating 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in a befitting manner and were charting a promising and mutually-beneficial roadmap for their future generations.
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Secretary Blinken expressed sincere condolences and solidarity with Pakistan over the loss of precious lives and monumental economic losses. He reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to continue cooperating with Pakistan in meeting the challenges of rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Secretary Blinken also maintained that, given Pakistan’s enormous potential, US private sector would like to invest in Pakistan including in the energy sector.
The foreign minister expressed the need to assist Afghanistan in averting the humanitarian crisis and underlined that Pakistan would continue to work with the international community to achieve peace, development, and stability in Afghanistan. Secretary Blinken also thanked Pakistan for its support during the Afghan evacuation process, the Foreign Office said.