UK announces additional Rs450m aid for Sindh ahead of expected floods

(Web Desk): In light of the anticipated severe flooding in Sindh, the United Kingdom has taken urgent action by announcing an additional aid package of Rs454 million (GBP 1.2 million) on Thursday. The support aims to assist the government’s coordinated response and help prepare local communities before disaster strikes.

According to a press release from the British High Commission in Islamabad, with this new funding, the UK’s total humanitarian assistance to Pakistan now amounts to Rs958 million (GBP 2.53 million). This aid is helping to provide life-saving assistance to over 400,000 people across the country.

The latest aid will be directed to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Sindh, focusing on enhancing early warning systems and community evacuation plans, identifying vulnerable households in need of immediate support, pre-positioning essential supplies and materials to protect livestock and property and preparing evacuation centres.

These measures are considered critical to saving lives and ensuring communities are protected before a disaster occurs.

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating: "Sindh has a crucial window of opportunity to prepare and mitigate the impact of the upcoming floods. Every dollar spent on preparedness saves up to seven dollars in emergency response later. Most importantly, lives are saved and disaster is averted."

This new funding is in addition to the GBP 1.33 million (Rs503.6 million) announced on August 22, which is being used for emergency response efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

In addition, the UK has supported Pakistan's Start Ready Disaster Risk Financing system, through which Rs189 million (GBP 500,000) has been disbursed. This program has reached 20,000 people in Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to help mitigate and prepare for future flood-related humanitarian impacts.