ISLAMABAD: In response to a request from the government of Pakistan, the United States delivered four MI-17 cargo helicopters to the Pakistani Army Wednesday, DawnNews reported.
The additional helicopters are meant to enhance Pakistan’s capabilities in current operations against militant extremists, and its efforts to care for hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis who have been displaced from their homes by the fighting.
The US is in the process of identifying additional MI-17s that may be made available to Pakistan in the future. On May 28, US Ambassador Patterson to Pakistan announced a $26.6 million award to the UN’s World Food Program funding urgent humanitarian relief efforts. May 19, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton committed $110 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to assist IDPs.
This includes approximately $28 million in agricultural commodities including 50,000 metric tons of wheat valued at $16.8 million and 6,800 metric tons of vegetable oil valued at $11.2 million.
The US has also provided $4.9 million to purchase tents, blankets, cooking sets, jerry cans, soap, and bedding. Americans also provided logistical equipment including generators and transformers to power water pumps, laptop computers, and rental cars to assist in emergency support operations.
Since 2002, the United States has provided nearly $3.4 billion to Pakistan to improve economic growth, education, health, and governance and to assist with earthquake reconstruction