The Pakistani people are friends and partners, and the United States is standing with them as the tragic human toll mounts from flooding in Northwest Pakistan. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have lost loved ones or have been displaced from their homes -- and we are taking action to help. Our embassy in Islamabad is coordinating closely with Pakistani authorities to support rescue and relief efforts. We have made an initial commitment of $10 million in aid

Mission participants:

a) Mr. Martin Magwanja - Humanitarian Coordinator

b) Brig. Kamran Shareef - OCHA

c) Zulfiqar Rao - WFP

d) Arshad Khan - UN-HABITAT

e) Dr. Muhammad Fawad Khan - WHO

The worst affected areas are Nowshera, Charsada, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The rapid assessment mission headed by Mr. Martin Magwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator, visited Nowshera and Charsada district through Helicopter as there is no road accessibility to the districts. Due to bad weather the mission could not reach Swat and Shangla districts.

As of 30 July 2010, heavy rains, resulting in flash floods, have affected several areas in the country, most significantly in the Central and Eastern Regions. According to the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), approximately, 3,831 households were reported to have been affected in the Eastern Region. As for the Central Region assessments are on-going, hence information gaps with regards to the impacts from the flooding still persist.

Casualty figures for the Eastern Region have been estimated at 16 deaths. Flood impacts, humanitarian needs, response

As more internally displaced people return to their homes or resettle in other communities following the ceasefire in mid-2009 and peace talks continue, WFP recently shifted its focus from emergency relief activities to programmes designed to support the early recovery of returnee communities.

"We are extremely grateful for the

- Dans les zones pastorales, la période

Brussels, 31 July 2010

The European Commission has adopted a €30 humanitarian aid decision to assist the most vulnerable people in Pakistan in urgent need of help. The main beneficiaries are the conflict-affected people, including internally displaced persons (IDP), people who are returning to their homes but have lost their livelihoods and sometimes also their houses, as well as host families whose capacities have been overstretched by months of hosting IDPs. The aid decision takes immediate effect. Pakistan

At least 800 persons have died in floods during the last week; provincial government officials are asking for international assistance as the scale of this disaster appears to be beyond the capacity of the government of Pakistan to respond alone.

As part of relief efforts, CWS Pakistan/Afghanistan