World cannot pay for Pakistan flood disaster: Holbrooke

[third eye]

DAWN.COM | World | World cannot pay for Pakistan flood disaster: Holbrooke


UNITED NATIONS: The outside world cannot foot the entire bill for Pakistan's recovery from devastating floods and the Pakistani government must do more, US special envoy Richard Holbrooke said Monday.

The day after world donors raised aid pledges to almost two billion dollars, Holbrooke said the eventual cost of the monsoon disaster could run into the “tens of billions of dollars.”

“The international community will not be able to pick up the full cost of reconstruction,” Holbrooke said.

“There will be a need for continued international assistance, but what we need to stress is that at a time of scarcity in other countries, a reconstruction effort cannot be financed completely by other countries.”

The US envoy called on the Pakistani government to redouble its efforts to help the 21 million people the UN estimates have been affected by the disaster, including 12 million needing emergency food aid.

“They have to take the lead. Pakistanis know they have to do more and how much they do remains to be seen, and what the needs are remain to be seen,” Holbrooke said.

USAID chief Rajiv Shah warned Monday that the risk of diseases such as cholera is increasing as people return to their homes.

“The first and most critical priority is to prevent the spread of water-borne illnesses,” Shah said.

“In a flood of this magnitude, even as the flood waters recede, the likelihood of water-borne illness and cholera... actually increase as people go back to their homes but do not have effective and safe sanitation environments, and water doesn't completely recede.”

 

[TOPGUN]

I agree the courpt gov Pakistan must do alot more for its people land then slip money in to there pockets .. but again what is the point of this thread?

 

[NWO]

I don't get this; everybody knows the government is corrupt, so what's the point in saying this? Instead, the international community needs to give it to organizations, like the Red Cross, and not through the government or army.

 

[StingRoy]

The point of this article is to discuss the fact that the GoP needs to raise more money internally instead of relying completely on the international community to foot the bill for its reconstruction. I guess the tax rates are very low in Pakistan with a very small tax paying base... which needs to be widened and tax rates increased atleast until the affected population has settled back into their livelihood.
You should take the constructive criticism out of this article and help put the affected people back on track.

 

[hecj]

pakistan just need manmohan singh,if they want to get rid from this.

 

[Luftwaffe]

Mr. Holbrooke I am sure the **** Industry money would be spent wisely in christian haiti.

But I am glad Govt won't be getting anymore good move now corrupts can take their kachkol or whatever its called somewhere else!

 

[brahmastra]

He is right. International community can only give 'helping hand' and real 'hardwork' need to be done by pak government and people.

 

[Hulk]

The way I read this, he feels Pakistan is not even trying to anything internally. He is right in that case, since when you ask others to donate money, you should do ur part too. Pakistan has billionaire and if President of Pakistan is so rich, he should lead by example.

 

[MilesTogo]

Give goods instead of cash...

 

[Tayyab1796]

donor saying ... enough is enough 'jaao baba muaff karo abb'.

 

[NWO]

Do the Indian members here understand what corruption is? Giving money to the government is not a good idea. It's like giving a crack addict $5,000 and expecting to use it to get some help or something.

So, why are you guys always saying the government needs to do more? You know it's corrupt. And the people of Pakistan are probably the ones donating the most individually.