ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank today announced that it was preparing “quickly” to provide a significant relief and rehabilitation package following catastrophic floods in Pakistan.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ADB said that the package is designed to “support people, livelihoods, and infrastructure immediately and in the long-term”.
For the short and medium-term, the ADB said it would use ongoing projects to repair damaged infrastructure, including roads and irrigation infrastructure, and to support the development and financial stability of the agriculture sector to boost food security.
ADB said, “We’re also processing countercyclical support to help the poor and vulnerable, especially women and children, weather the impacts of food prices and other external shocks.”
In the long-term, we’ll prioritise projects that support post-flood reconstruction and strengthen climate and disaster resilience, ADB added.
“We will provide more details of our new assistance package when it is finalised. We will work closely with the government and other international agencies to help rebuild the lives and livelihoods of the more than 33 million people affected by the disaster,” the ADB concluded, adding that it stood with the people of the country.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly where he is expected to highlight Pakistan’s climate catastrophe.
