UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on August 15 said the flooding in Pakistan was the worst disaster he had ever seen, and urged foreign donors to speed up assistance to the 20 million people affected. “This has been a heart-wrenching day for me,” Ban said after flying over the hard-hit areas with President Asif Ali Zardari. “I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this.” The floods began more than two weeks ago in the mountainous northwest and have now hit about one-quarter of the country, especially its agricultural heartland. While the death toll of 1,500 is relatively small, the scale of the flooding and number of people whose lives have been disrupted is staggering. The world body has appealed for an initial $460 million to provide relief, but only 20 per cent has been given by now.
UN URGES WORLD TO HELP PAKISTAN
UN URGES WORLD TO HELP PAKISTAN
