04 August 2010
The UK Government is sending 2,000 all-weather tents to flood-affected districts in Pakistan, Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development announced today.
The tents, which will be distributed by Save the Children, will provide all-weather shelter for families who have lost their homes in the recent floods. The tents could shelter up to 10,000 people.
He also announced that DFID will enable humanitarian experts and aid agencies to travel quickly to affected areas and kick-start their aid programmes, via emergency relief funding administered by the Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies.
Andrew Mitchell said:
"Thousands of people who have had their homes destroyed by the floods are in desperate need of all-weather tents. With more rains expected over the next few days, we must get aid to them as quickly as possible. "At the same time, our fast response funding will help get more disaster experts to flooded districts as quickly as possible to kick-start vital life-saving work."
"Thousands of people who have had their homes destroyed by the floods are in desperate need of all-weather tents. With more rains expected over the next few days, we must get aid to them as quickly as possible.
"At the same time, our fast response funding will help get more disaster experts to flooded districts as quickly as possible to kick-start vital life-saving work."
Today's announcement comes in addition to the help for at least 800,000 people affected by the monsoon floods in Pakistan, announced by the UK Government on Monday.
This will be channelled through UNICEF and will provide approximately 136,000 hygiene kits, 4,560 toilets, 336,000 bars of sanitising soap, 270,000 buckets/jerry cans, 400,000 water purification powder sachets and 800,000 water purification tablets to help prevent further death and disease of the children and people of Pakistan affected by the monsoon floods.
Funding is being made available to a number of NGOs from the newly established consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies (CBHA). This core funding mechanism was established by DFID in March 2010 to help UK charities deliver appropriate and high quality humanitarian assistance to people affected by disasters as quickly as possible.
Members of the CBHA include ActionAid, Action against Hunger, CARE International UK, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, HelpAge International, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Merlin, Oxfam GB, Plan International UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK. A decision is being taken today by the CBHA as to which of the agencies will receive funding.
The tents have been manufactured in Lahore and Karachi to international standards for the Department for International Development.
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