GHAZI AIR BASE,
Pakistan — The world ramped up assistance to flood-ravaged Pakistan
on Thursday three weeks after the crisis began, and U.S. Sen. John
Kerry said Washington did not want Islamist extremists to come out of
the disaster stronger. The U.S., Germany and Saudi Arabia all
announced new pledges of aid, while Japan said it would send helicopters
to help distribute food, water and medicine. The Asian Development Bank
said it would redirect $2 billion of existing and planned loans for
reconstruction. "If we don't do it quick, if we don't do it well,
what will the Pakistani people think," said Juan Miranda, the bank's
director general for Central and West Asia. "We have to put every road
and every bridge back into the shape where they should be." The
floods have affected 20 million people and about one-fifth of Pakistan's
territory, straining its civilian government as it also struggles
against al-Qaida and Taliban violence. Aid groups and the United Nations
have complained foreign donors have not been quick or generous enough
given the scale of the disaster. The United States has deployed 18 army helicopters to hard-hit areas and given other aid worth $90 million. Kerry,
who is visiting Pakistan to see the flood damage, said that would
increase to $150 million. The figure is expected to be announced at a
U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York on Thursday. Saudi
Arabia said it would donate $80 million to Pakistan, the official Saudi
Press Agency reported, making it one of the largest donors. The country
has for years sought to project its influence in Pakistan and has funded
the spread of hardline Islamic theology there. Pakistan is vital
for America's strategic goals of defeating militancy and stabilizing
neighboring Afghanistan so its troops can one day withdraw. Before the
floods, Washington had already committed to spending $7.5 billion over
the next five years in Pakistan. The U.N. children's fund said
Pakistan will need international aid for several months to cope with the
flood disaster, and relief workers urgently need cash donations, said
Daniel Toole UNICEF's regional director for South Asia. Toole said
Thursday parts of the country may remain flooded even after the rain
stops and stagnant water increases the risk of malaria, diarrhea and
cholera. UNICEF expects to raise its original appeal of $47 million
fivefold to meet the increased needs, he said. Recovering from the floods is likely to dominate the agenda of Pakistan's army and government in coming months. The
state has been criticized for failing to respond quickly enough, and
Islamist charities — at least one of which has alleged links to
terrorism — have been active in the flood-hit areas. There are also
concerns the extent of the suffering could stoke social unrest and lead
to political instability that may impact Pakistan's fight against the
Taliban. Kerry told reporters "we don't want additional jihadists, extremists coming out of a crisis." He
was speaking at Ghazi Air Base, a Pakistan military facility in the
country's northwest, after meeting U.S. military personnel taking part
in helicopter relief missions. The floods began in the northwest
of the country after exceptionally heavy monsoon rains and have since
swamped thousands of towns and villages in Punjab and Sindh provinces.
While rainfall has lessened, flooding is continuing in parts of Sindh
province as water from the north courses down the Indus and other
rivers. Local aid groups, the Pakistani army and international aid
agencies have helped hundreds of thousands of people with food,
shelter, water and medical care, but the distribution has been chaotic
and has not come close to reaching everyone. Officials said the
ancient ruined city and world heritage site Mohenjo Daro in the Larkana
district was now at risk. "Our experts are also present at Mohenjo Daro
to monitor the flood situation," said government archaeologist Qasim
Ali. Mohenjo Daro's structures, dating back to the third
millennium B.C., are mostly made of unbaked brick and are vulnerable to
flood damage. ___ Associated Press writer Chris Brummitt in Islamabad contributed to this report.
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