US outspends Islamabad on flood relief in Pakistan

[BanglaBhoot]

Islamabad, Pakistan

The US government has pledged more money toward this year's flood relief efforts in Pakistan than the country's own government, according to a report this month from the Congressional Research Service.

Floods have devastated swaths of the Pakistani countryside this year. And once again the US is contributing substantial funds, despite strained ties between the two governments and large anti-American street protests.

According to a little noticed detail in a report titled “Pakistan: US Foreign Assistance,” the country's central government has pledged $91 million toward flood relief, a third less than the $134.6 million promised by the US State Department and USAID as of the end of September 2012.

But instead of helping repair US-Pakistan relations, the flood aid looks more likely to harden the existing pattern in which Americans tire of financially supporting a country where elites are barely taxed and the majority of citizens dislike the US. Pakistan, meanwhile, points out US pledges are often much greater than the aid actually delivered – and what aid does come is spent in a self-serving manner.

"These aid figures are on paper and never really materialize into anything. The foreign aid pledge is always about – this will come, that will happen, but it never does," says Irshad Bhatti, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), an autonomous government body that looks after disaster relief in Pakistan.

Mr. Bhatti stressed that the Pakistani government with the help of NDMA distributed 45,000 tents and 100,000 rations this year to the flood-affected areas. He also says a total of around 25 billion rupees (about $261.78 million) was kept aside for natural disaster like floods this year in the federal and provincial budgets.

"As far as I know, we did everything ourselves this year. We did not get any direct funding from US or any other government,” Bhatti says, and he complained that foreign aid comes with too many conditions. “I do not believe it is for our help but to serve their [the donor country’s] own interests,” Bhatti replied when asked to comment on the US report, claiming that the American government aid pledge is more than that of Pakistan.

The US Embassy in Pakistan said that for floods this year USAID has disbursed around $100,000 so far. Since 2009, the US government has spent over a billion dollars in humanitarian assistance.

The floods in Pakistan this year have killed more than 400 people over the past five weeks and affected more than 5 million people, according to NDMA data. However, the aftermath of flooding in the past two years has not been as bad as in 2010, when Pakistan suffered the worst floods in its history; almost 1,800 people were killed and some 21 million were affected.

Commenting on the extent of disaster, Bhatti also says that Pakistan's management of floods and other natural disasters need to improve to minimize the damage. “We need to plan better to avoid the catastrophic impact of floods and people are not learning from their past. Why will the international community help us if we do not help ourselves?”

US frustration

In the aftermath of the 2010 crisis, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pushed Pakistan – a country with one of the lowest tax compliance rates in the world – to get the country’s elites to pony up.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable for those with means in Pakistan not to be doing their fair share to help their own people while taxpayers in Europe, the US, and other contributing countries are all chipping in,” Ms. Clinton said just over two years ago.

Since then, Pakistan has made promises to its lenders at the International Monetary Fund to expand its tax net, but has consistently failed to do so.

“Essentially, I think it is outrageous that the American taxpayer is continuing to bail out Pakistan when the elite there continue to not pay taxes,” says Christine Fair, a Pakistan expert at Georgetown University in Washington. “What’s even more outrageous, the Pakistanis have consistently made commitments to the IMF to expand their tax net in exchange for getting very lucrative bailouts, knowing full well they will never implement those commitments.”

Part of the problem, says Ms. Fair, is that Pakistani officials know that the US will pressure the IMF to keep providing money to the government, even when it fails to implement promised reforms.
Pakistani donations play role

The spokesperson for NDMA stressed, however, that funding from charity and donations from Pakistani individuals is significant, giving the agency revenues unmatched by any international assistance. Many welfare organizations working in Pakistan for relief assistance in flood-affected areas also say Pakistani philanthropy is key.

“If the US government is doing more, then it’s a positive step, but [the] Pakistani government should have the leading role. Sadly, they do not care much about their own people and lack planning. However, local organizations were at the forefront of helping flood-affected population this year,” says Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, head of an Islamic welfare organization in Lahore.

Like the NDMA official, Mr. Zaheer does not trust the claims of the American government.

“The US can easily be lying about it because they are always exaggerating about aid to Pakistan. And even if they are giving more than the Pakistani government, it is only compensating the destruction and loss American drones are causing in the country,” he adds.

US outspends Islamabad on flood relief in Pakistan - CSMonitor.com

 

[tarrar]

Lozzz. well this money is ONLY for the corrupt Govt., corrupt politicians, corrupt NGO's & the corrupt media etc. In the name of Aid US is funding these corrupt wh*re goons & thugs.

 

[SBD-3]

Lozzz. well this money is ONLY for the corrupt Govt., corrupt politicians, corrupt NGO's & the corrupt media etc. In the name of Aid US is funding these corrupt wh*re goons & thugs.

Please come up with something different. This is an easy way to dump the thing under the carpet.

 

[TaimiKhan]

If someone had properly read the article, they might have learned that the truth is somewhat different then the heading of the title and we may have not seen the typical troll posts from across the border.

But that is expected.

 

[KRAIT]

So who is at fault, the society, the govt, the army or the donor itself ?

US provided more assistance to Pakistan more than any country over decades even if we take this instance out. Doesn't it mean they have saved thousands and helped in raising standard of living of Pakistan ?

US support to Pakistan has always resulted in getting loans from International Funding agencies. The recent spat between US-Pakistan has resulted in cancellation of many funds seek by Pakistan.

So it bears a question, shouldn't we try to assess the Pros US has done for Pakistan along with Cons ?

Hasn't US been constructive force if we take out WoT from the history of Pakistan ? Shouldn't we discuss the inability of Pakistan govt. and Army itself over the decades rather than blaming US entirely ?

Pakistan always had a choice.

 

[arp2041]

If someone had properly read the article, they might have learned that the truth is somewhat different then the heading of the title and we may have not seen the typical troll posts from across the border.

But that is expected.

Taimi, with due respect, believe me, if the same news would have been about India than the above troll posts would have looked good posts in front of the posts that thread would have generated from across the border & this 1 page thread would have run to 15 pages in no time.

 

[KRAIT]

Please come up with something different. This is an easy way to dump the thing under the carpet.

Exactly. For decades US had been in good eyes of Pakistan and now its always a conspiracy after conspiracy.

 

[Spring Onion]

Exactly. For decades US had been in good eyes of Pakistan and now its always a conspiracy after conspiracy.

Corruption is not a conspiracy theory.

The member rightly pointed out that huge US relief funds ends up in pockets of corrupt instead of affected people due to lack of monitoring system both on part of US and Pakistan.

Above all its not outspending by US, its unfortunate that mere pledges are huge but materilization is at a low level.

 

[TaimiKhan]

Taimi, with due respect, believe me, if the same news would have been about India than the above troll posts would have looked good posts in front of the posts that thread would have generated from across the border & this 1 page thread would have run to 15 pages in no time.

you know what in my experience, the 1 page going to 15 page happens mostly in Pakistan related thread with trolls coming from across the border. Since i am a Mod, thus i have to go through lot of threads and i just closed 2 threads which were Pak specific & opened a few hours ago and trolling happened by friends from across the border.

This happens from both sides, but majority wise from across the border, i hardly now see much activity by Pak members on the Indian section, where mostly now Chinese & Indian members fight it out.

Anyway, my point was, before posting members from across the border who posted troll posts should have read the article instead of reading the title of the thread.

 

[KRAIT]

Corruption is not a conspiracy theory.

The member rightly pointed out that huge US relief funds ends up in pockets of corrupt instead of affected people due to lack of monitoring system both on part of US and Pakistan.

Above all its not outspending by US, its unfortunate that mere pledges are huge but materilization is at a low level.

I admit it buddy, corruption is widespread in our sub-continent. Point is, why suddenly US has been made a boogeyman. They have been giving money since the start to Afghan war. Why suddenly blaming US for everything bad in the country rather than self-introspection ?

I agree with your materialization point too, but its fault of entire system rather than brushing of from responsibility that Pakistan did something wrong.

What I see is there are two types of people in Pakistan, one which is more worried about their own people destroying the country and other are those who turn blind eye against their own evil and put all blame on US, Israel,India etc.

Problem is latter type of population is more vocal and get more support than the former one.

 

[graphican]

Who gives importance to aid when USA is rewarding people with free death. Heinous face of America cannot hide behind "aid" mask.

 

[Spring Onion]

I admit it buddy, corruption is widespread in our sub-continent. Point is, why suddenly US has been made a boogeyman. They have been giving money since the start to Afghan war. Why suddenly blaming US for everything bad in the country rather than self-introspection ?

I agree with your materialization point too, but its fault of entire system rather than brushing of from responsibility that Pakistan did something wrong.

What I see is there are two types of people in Pakistan, one which is more worried about their own people destroying the country and other are those who turn blind eye against their own evil and put all blame on US, Israel,India etc.

Problem is latter type of population is more vocal and get more support than the former one.

The problem is that some elements see the "few" vocal internet warrior more than the majority common Pakistanis who appreciate good gestures from US.

as far as the relief activities and funds for poor well why Indians always link these with WoT and international politics when it comes to Pakistan although Indians are getting more aid or to say huge aid for poor lot from international donors

 

[VCheng]

Corruption is not a conspiracy theory.

The member rightly pointed out that huge US relief funds ends up in pockets of corrupt instead of affected people due to lack of monitoring system both on part of US and Pakistan.

Above all its not outspending by US, its unfortunate that mere pledges are huge but materilization is at a low level.

Who rose up in feigned outrage to prevent such monitoring by the donor to ensure that the funds were used properly? The K-L Bill was designed to do precisely that, was it not?

And whose responsibility is to clean up the corruption in Pakistan?

 

[TaimiKhan]

Who rose up in feigned outrage to prevent such monitoring by the donor to ensure that the funds were used properly? The K-L Bill was designed to do precisely that, was it not?

And whose responsibility is to clean up the corruption in Pakistan?

If you are referring to the armed forces as per your usual tricks, i don't think they had an issue in how the funds are to be used or monitored, rather the issue on which armed forces and majority of the political parties stood up was the conditions / strings attached which threatened the sovereignty left. Even now mechanism is in place to keep a check how the funds are utilized and USAID is trying its best that less goes to corruption and they are taking help of local agencies in that too. You can see a big bill board in Peshawar by USAID giving toll numbers to report misuse of any funds in projects of USAID and very recently NAB KPK helped USAID in recovering lot of their money which went into pockets of some people. anyway, that is something else, but blaming the military as usual is not gonna play here nor i would like to derail this thread, if you want, read the below article by Times which gives a clear picture, army has nothing to do with how funds are allocated & monitored, rather the issue was the conditons attached with it which US has nothing to do with. Its our internal matter, they are not satisfied, zero the aid, no one is forcing the US to give us money nor is Pakistan holding US the Super Power a hostage.

Pakistan: How the Kerry-Lugar Act Could Threaten Zardari - TIME

WikiLeaks: Pakistan military cast in favourable light – The Express Tribune


So, plz stop bringing in Army where its not required.

 

[Spring Onion]

Who rose up in feigned outrage to prevent such monitoring by the donor to ensure that the funds were used properly? The K-L Bill was designed to do precisely that, was it not?

And whose responsibility is to clean up the corruption in Pakistan?

Its the responsibility of both t dealing parties and in many cases i will exclude even the Pak govt of this responsibility beause in many cases US is funding privat orgs and these very private aka NGOs are minting money.

no you figure it out yourself that who's responsibility it is.