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US to Give One-Half Billion Dollars for Pakistan Flood Assistance

   Meredith Buel | Islamabad 15 November 2010
   Flood  survivors  carry  bags  of  wheat flour in the village Khairpur
   Nathan Shah, Pakistan (file photo)

Photo: AP

   Flood  survivors  carry  bags  of  wheat flour in the village Khairpur
   Nathan Shah, Pakistan (file photo)

   The  United  States  has  announced  it  will  provide $500-million in
   additional financial aid to Pakistan to help rebuild the country after
   devastating  floods  led to the worst natural disaster in the nation's
   history.
   The   U.S.   Representative  for  Afghanistan  and  Pakistan,  Richard
   Holbrooke,  announced  the  United  States  will  "fast track" another
   one-half  billion  dollars to help the millions of Pakistanis affected
   by the floods.
   "Now  is  the time to accelerate the rebuilding effort so families can
   put a permanent roof back over their heads, replace the livestock that
   has  been  lost,  rebuild their agricultural base, send their children
   back to school and return to a normal life," said Holbrooke.
   The  flooding  began with monsoon rains in late July and spread over a
   large portion of the country, initially displacing 20-million people.
   The  additional  aid  is  being  drawn  from  a $7.5 billion multiyear
   package of U.S. civilian assistance to Pakistan.
   The  money  is  in  addition  to  $500-million  the  U.S.  has already
   contributed to help Islamabad deal with the impact of the disaster.
   Ambassador  Holbrooke  says  transparency  regarding  how the money is
   spent  will  be  essential  if  Pakistan  is  going  to have continued
   support.
   "To continue support at these very high levels we will need to be able
   to  show  to the American people, to the American taxpayers, who pay a
   far  higher percentage of their income in taxes than is the case here,
   that  the  money  reaches  those who need it most and that Pakistanis,
   especially  those  in  the wealthier sector of your economy, pay their
   fair share in taxes."
   Ambassador  Holbrooke's  remarks were made to the Pakistan Development
   Forum,  a  meeting  designed  to  give  the government in Islamabad an
   opportunity  to discuss flood reconstruction and other economic issues
   with international donors.
   The  Pakistani  government  has  developed  a  fund  to make financial
   payments directly to those affected by the floods.
   Addressing  the same forum, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
   said  the  flood damage is so massive it will take billions of dollars
   to rebuild.
   "Pakistan  has been able to meet the immediate challenges posed by the
   floods  and  by terrorism, yet there are long-term challenges that are