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23 August, 2010
The ICEM has been saddened by the worst flooding in Pakistan in over 80 years, which have hit all four Provinces of the country. More than 150 million people have been badly affected, as floods have destroyed homes and belongings, and taken an unknown death toll of at least 1,600, as entire villages have been washed away.
There are already 4.6 million people homeless, at least 6 million in urgent need of food, and 5 million without access to clean water, meaning that disease is spreading fast.
In a letter to Pakistani affiliates last week, General Secretary Manfred Warda offered the sincere condolences, on behalf of all ICEM members, to the victims and their families. We urge affiliates and supporters to provide all possible relief aid through international relief agencies in their home countries.
“It is my sincere hope that the affected people overcome these terrible ordeals in the near future, with the support of the international community,” stated Warda, “We applaud all union members who are engaged in relief work for victims of the floods”.
Pakistan will be in need of continuing international aid, as the floods have destroyed crops throughout the agriculture-based economy, a food crisis is a real possibility.
After a two-day session of the UN General Assembly last week, the amount of international aid pledged for Pakistani flood victims fell short at US$350 million of the US$460 million in emergency aid that the UN appealed for. The full figure of US$460 million would only cover the bare essentials for a period of three months. Billions of dollars would be needed to rebuild Pakistan following this disaster.