Markus Löning, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (17 August) regarding the immediate humanitarian relief provided by the German Government for the victims of the floods in Pakistan:

”The floods in Pakistan have been devastating in their scale and humanitarian impact.

The relief work financed by the Federal Government and professionally carried out by our partners enables aid to reach the people affected quickly and with a minimum of red tape.

The Federal Government and the aid organizations are ensuring that this help really does get through to those in need.

I would like to ask the people of Germany to hear my heartfeltplea: please give generously – do not forget that millions of children are in grave danger. The first reports of an increase in donations are encouraging, and the aid arriving from Germany is also perfectly respectable by international standards. At the same time, it is clear that when facing a catastrophe of this scale, we can always all do more!“

Across Pakistan, almost 20 million people have been affected by the floods. The most urgent requirements at the moment are for food, drinking water and tents, as well as medical care.

The Federal Government took action to provide aid as soon as disaster struck. To date, it has provided bilateral aid worth a total of 15 million Euro. The money is being channelled through UN organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and German non-governmental organizations. Germany is providing further support indirectly via the European Union and by contributing to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).