September 12, 2011: A UN team led by Mr. John Ging, Director Coordination and Response Division UN, OCHA and UN Country Representative Mr. Timo Pakala called on the Presidency for a meeting to brief on their visit to the flood affected areas in Pakistan. The UN team acknowledged that the size and the scale of disaster was enormous and could put any relief and rescue system under stress. They appreciated the relief efforts being made by the government to help the flood affected population. They said that this experience and the lessons learnt would help them in dealing with similar situations in other parts of the world.

 

The UN team is visiting Pakistan in response to the President of Pakistan's telephonic conversation with the UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon and would undertake rapid need assessment of the situation to launch a formal international appeal for urgent humanitarian assistance to flood affected population.

 

Mr. Ging informed the meeting that the situation was as bad as was described by the President of Pakistan. The scale was enormous and warranted big response and generous funding from donors. He added that the UN Secretary General was personally monitoring the situation to lead the efforts by the international Community to provide relief and rescue to the disaster stricken population. He said that UN was making arrangements to provide food supplies to half a million people for the next one month. They were also in the process of supplying 20,000 tents within this week.

 

The Secretary General to the President, Mr. M. Salman Faruqui thanked the UN system for promptly responding to the President's appeal for help and assured them of the Governments of Pakistan's full collaboration with the UN system to provide rescue and relief support to poor and needy in the disaster hit areas.

 

The meeting was also attended by Special Secretary, President's Secretariat (Public), Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Chairman, NDMA and Additional Secretary (UN) Ministry of Foreign Affair.