By IANS,
United Nations : Germany has said it will increase its humanitarian aid to flood-ravaged Pakistan to a total of $13 million for the distribution of food and other items.
The statement came in a press release from the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN on the occasion of Wednesday’s launch of the “Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan” by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Xinhua reported.
The German ambassador to the UN, Miguel Berger, said that the aid will be primarily allocated to water, sanitation and hygiene measures — top priorities of the emergency response plan as more than 14 million people are estimated to be affected by the catastrophe.
The additional $13 million comes in addition to Germany’s contributions to the European Union’s $53 billion in assistance and to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.
Germany’s action comes immediately after UN humanitarian chief John Holmes issued a $460 million appeal Wednesday for disaster relief efforts in Pakistan.