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UK aid arrives in Karachi docks

Vital help for people who lost their homes in 2011 monsoon floods

A ship laden with emergency aid provided by the UK Government has arrived in Karachi docks, to help thousands of children, women, and men who have lost their homes in southern Pakistan in this year’s monsoon floods. The new aid includes emergency shelter for 105,000 people, 24,000 buckets, and 57,000 blankets. The items are being loaded on to trucks today and will be transported immediately to flood-affected districts in Sindh.

George Turkington, Head of the UK’s Department for International Development in Pakistan, said: "UK support for people affected by the floods here in Pakistan will continue over the coming weeks, months, and into 2012. In total the UK is providing emergency shelter to more than half-a-million children, women, and men who have lost their homes in this year’s devastating floods, as well as providing blankets, stoves, and tens of thousands of other essential items to help people as the colder nights approach.”

Francis Campbell, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, said:

"I know the suffering caused by the flooding in Sindh, southern Pakistan, is of deep concern to many British people. We provided a huge amount of help to people affected by last year’s devastating flood, and the UK’s continuing support this year reflects the deep friendship and longstanding bond between the UK and Pakistan. Our countries are closely tied through family, business, history and culture, and we will always stand by and support each other."

The items have been shipped in directly from the UK Department for International Development’s warehouse in UAE. It is part of a package of new support announced by the UK International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell on 6 October 2011.

In addition, the UK anticipated further flooding in Pakistan this year and pre-positioned emergency shelter, blankets, and other essential items for hundreds of thousands of people across Sindh, southern Pakistan, which have all now been distributed to people who urgently need them.

This brings the total UK government response to the 2011 floods to:

Emergency shelter, pegs or poles for more than half-a-million women, children and men.

Permanent flood resistant one room shelters for 52,500 people

10,000 tarpaulin sheets

164,000 blankets

20,000 solar lamps

2,000 sleeping mats

5,000 hygiene kits

10,000 jerry cans

5,000 kerosene stoves

5,000 hurricane lamps

24,000 buckets

5,000 kitchen sets

10,000 corrugated iron sheets for roofs

Support to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Disease Early Warning System in Sindh until February 2012, to try to avoid major outbreaks of health epidemics.

The UK also funded training for rural communities on how to prepare for and cope with flooding, as well as supporting cash for work projects to repair flood protection barriers, irrigation channels and other community infrastructure. This helps reduce vulnerability to future disasters and at the same time provides opportunities for people to earn money through creating employment.

The UK is committed to being better prepared to deal with future disasters, and build up the resilience of local communities. This is in line with the Humanitarian Emergency Response Review (HERR), published by Lord Ashdown earlier this year.

The UK also helped millions of people affected by last year’s monsoon floods across Pakistan, initially by providing emergency shelter and food. Later, the UK helped people to rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient again by constructing flood resistant brick homes, replacing bridges and schools, and providing seeds, farm animals, jobs, and tools.

Further information

In Pakistan, contact DFID-Pakistan media team on + 92 (0) 51 201 2580/ 2516.

Photography is available on: www.flickr.com/photos/dfid

Photogalleries, films, and case studies showing the impact of the UK Government’s efforts to help people affected by the 2010 floods in Pakistan can be viewed.

The Department for International Development (DFID) is the UK’s Government department responsible for promoting sustainable development and reducing poverty. Further information here www.dfid.gov.uk See how UK aid is changing the lives of the world's poorest people.