In this Edition:

Volunteer Training: Understanding Reception Centres

FOCUS:
A Global Initiative

• Earthquake Simulation in Pakistan
• A Child is the Key to Change
• Hike4Life: Scaling Kilimanjaro
• Risk Reduction in Lari Babaji
• Global ShakeOut Drill ‘The Pakistan Floods 2010’: A Video-Documentary by Faridoun Hemani

U.S. assistance to Pakistan is authorized by the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-73, 123 Stat. 2060). The act authorizes a total of $7.5 billion for fiscal years (FY) 2010 through 2014 to support programs for democratic, economic, and development assistance. The U.S. Department of State's (DOS) strategy report for providing civilian assistance outlines three key objectives:

- Improve the Government of Pakistan's capacity to address the country's most critical infrastructure needs.

- Help the Pakistani Government address

1. Development Co-operation

1.1 Bilateral Projects: 269.30

1.2 Thematic Projects: 63.28

1.3 Projects under Instrument for Stability 14.20

Total EC Contribution Development Cooperation: 346.78

2. Economic Co-operation

2.1 Asia Wide projects: 1.89

Total EU Contribution for Economic Cooperation: 1.89

Total EC contribution in Pakistan: 348.67

Providing food aid in remote mountainous areas of Afghanistan

Drought, famine, severe weather conditions and other climate change-induced hazards pose significant risks for most of Afghanistan, often adding to the impact of the global food crisis on local populations. Coupled with a volatile economy and labour market, these hazards leave isolated mountainous communities with restricted access to food. In 2009, through partnerships with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Afghan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development,

BACKGROUND AND KEY DEVELOPMENTS

- From July through early August 2008, monsoon rains and related flooding affected populations throughout Pakistan, killing 40 individuals and affecting an estimated 241,000 others, including approximately 175,000 people displaced from communities in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). Floods also damaged or destroyed an estimated 12,000 houses, in addition to infrastructure, crops, and agricultural land.

This year WFP aims to reach nine million beneficiaries in Pakistan, a country where 85 percent of the population live on an income of less than US$ 2 per day. Last year we reached 6.2 million.

As part of the scaling up of assistance, WFP last autumn launched an emergency operation to help 3.1 million people affected by high food prices.

The jolts were also felt in Punjab, Hazara