16 August 2010 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the international community to speed up assistance to Pakistan which is reeling from regional flooding that has also affected thousands of people in Afghanistan.

The United Nations is working closely with the Afghan National Disaster Management Authority (UNDMA) to make sure that the life-saving needs of the neediest are met.

The priority needs include food and safe drinking water, emergency shelter, health-care and non food-items such as blankets, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

More than 3,500 homes throughout Afghanistan are damaged, as well as roads, dams, bridges and agricultural land.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) provided three-month food rations to those affected in the worst hit areas.

Meanwhile, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) dispatched cholera and other health kits, while the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said it plans to procure hand pumps to provide safe drinking water and clothing for children.

In addition, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has been distributing non-food items in the form of tents, blankets, plastic tarpaulins and plastic jerry cans.

“We are much obliged for the UNHCR assistance but we need fundamental assistance, our houses have been badly damaged,” said Hakeen Khan who lives in the Robat Returnee Settlement in Gardez, south of Kabul.

More than 10,000 families have been affected by the floods in the province, according to Rehmatullah Sarwary, provincial director of the Rural Rehabilitation Development (RRD).

“The heavy rains and floods destroyed our land, homes and farms, and killed our animals,” said Jamaluddin, who also lives in the Robat settlement.

“The Government and international community should assist us,” he added.

By Dilawar Khan Dilawar