Canada announces additional US$25 mln for flood victims

Islamabad: Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, has announced an additional US$ 25 million in funding in response to the flooding in Pakistan, which will support development projects focused on recovery, reconstruction, and resilience.

The minister announced financial support at the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan, held in Geneva, Switzerland, said a news release issued here by the Canadian High Commission Islamabad on Tuesday.

The focus of the conference was on mobilizing financial and technical support for flood response and recovery. Canada’s participation underscored its continued engagement in and response to the ongoing situation in Pakistan.

The funding announced by Minister Sajjan will go toward supporting projects aligned with the Government of Pakistan’s Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework.

This multi-sectoral strategy for climate-resilient rehabilitation and reconstruction in response to floods was presented at the conference in Geneva.

It is pertinent to mention here that Minister Sajjan visited the flood-hit region in September 2022 and observed the humanitarian response underway to gain a better understanding of what the people of Pakistan face.

“Canada is committed to helping the people of Pakistan as they continue to recover from the widespread devastation caused by the country’s worst floods in recent history. Because climate change is affecting the frequency, duration, and intensity of weather events worldwide, it is essential that we support countries working to adapt to climate change and become more climate-resilient so that they are better prepared for these events and to lessen the events’ impact on communities and individuals” he added.

In total, including the funding announced at the Geneva conference, Canada is providing US$ 58 million in funding for assistance in response to the floods and a longer-term recovery from the floods in Pakistan.

Canada has also supported the provision of relief items in Pakistan and the deployment of an expert from the Canadian Red Cross Society to Pakistan.

In addition, Canada has provided funding for Pakistan through the Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund, as well as contributions through the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund and the World Health Organization’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies.