floods

The number of people affected by the flood emergency in Colombia has risen by 50,000 people in the last two weeks, bringing the total number affect to more than 2,100,000 said international agency Oxfam today.

Oxfam is today scaling up its aid effort to reach 200,000 people affected by the severe floods that have hit Colombia in recent weeks. The floods have affected more than two million people in 28 out of 32 districts in the country.

This Pakistan Development Forum meeting was a rare chance for donors to think outside the box for solutions to tackle some fundamental issues thrown up by the floods – one of the most devastating natural disasters this country has ever seen.

International agency Oxfam today called on rich countries and institutions, meeting for the third time in as many months to discuss flood-ravaged Pakistan, to end the talking and start giving the substantial funds needed to help save lives and start to rebuild the country.

Three months after floods devastated Pakistan, cases of disease are increasing and in the worst-hit region, the southern province of Sindh, large areas remain underwater. At the same time, funds for the UN flood appeal are drying up and threatening the aid and reconstruction effort.

International aid agency Oxfam today starts its initial assistance in two worst-affected districts in Ha Tinh province, central Vietnam where torrential rain has brought two consecutive severe floods to one of the poorest and most disaster-prone parts of the country.

 

Consuelo Lopez-Zuriaga, Oxfam Head of Humanitarian Campaigns, said, 

Disasters do not have lead to devastation, and today Oxfam called on the Government of Pakistan and the international community to invest in measures that reduces and manages the risk of disasters at district and community levels.

The European Commission announced today a significant boost of €80 million for immediate humanitarian needs in flood-hit Pakistan. This doubles the contribution of the EU’s executive arm to €150 million, and places it as the most generous donor after Saudi Arabia, the US and the UK.

The international community urgently needs to inject more funds and effort to stem a spiraling crisis in flood-hit Pakistan. A new United Nations appeal for funds will be issued on Friday.