The PPP chairman has stated that it is “beyond comprehension” why the federal government has not requested international assistance despite a disaster of this magnitude. He said on his X (formerly Twitter) account that “this is standard practice for disasters of this scale internationally. It was done for the last floods when I was foreign minister, before that, the 2010 floods and the 2005 earthquake. Countries all over the world do the same within the first 72 hours of such disasters.”
“There is no excuse to cut off the millions affected from this assistance,” he added.
Sherry Rehman Moves Resolution in Senate, Urges Government to Use BISP for Relief
Mr. Bhutto-Zardari welcomed the government’s announcement of a climate and agricultural emergency and called for immediate relief for flood-impacted areas through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). He also expressed support for the agricultural community, calling it the “most devastated sector” due to the recent floods.
A resolution, submitted to the Senate by Senator Sherry Rehman, emphasized that immediate humanitarian relief was crucial, including waiving electricity bills for the millions of displaced or affected citizens.
According to a statement from the PPP, key points of the resolution included acknowledging the current crisis as a climate, flood, agricultural, and humanitarian emergency. It stressed that delays in mobilizing support were unacceptable, regardless of the pace of the international response. The resolution stated that the destruction of crops and displacement of communities had created a multi-faceted emergency that required both immediate national action and strong international support.
The resolution urged the federal government to speed up direct cash transfers to displaced families and affected farmers via BISP, following the successful model of 2022. It also highlighted the urgent need for basic medical care and medicines. It added that “there is a need for a renewed call for the government of Pakistan to launch an international flash appeal through the United Nations to enable swift donor mobilization.”
