U.S. to give more flood aid to Pakistan (Top U.S. aid official tours camp run by Islamist charity)

[Turborama]

Source: Reuters

* Top U.S. aid official tours camp run by Islamist charity
* Hopes for IMF assistance
* Militant threat creeps into crisis

The United States will divert $50 million from a development package for Pakistan towards relief funds, the top U.S. aid official said on Wednesday after touring a flood victims camp run by a charity with suspected links to a militant group on the U.S. terrorist list.

Officials in Pakistan and its ally Washington are worried that militants could exploit the disorder caused by the floods, and the government's slow response, to gain recruits. The United States, eager to see stability in ally Pakistan, a frontline state in its war against militancy, has so far been the most generous donor. It has provided 25 percent of aid commitments and contributions, the U.N. said.

"Let me be clear: This disaster represents a major logistics challenge. We are committed to supporting this significant relief effort as much as possible," U.S. Agency for International Development head Rajiv Shah told reporters.

After touring a camp for flood victims set up in a school, Shah told a news conference that $50 million would be diverted from a five-year, $7.5 billion development package for Pakistan to help the flood relief effort.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SGE67O08A.htm

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(there's more to the article than at 1st glance, you have to scroll past some text - which appears to be dead links - to get to the rest of the story)

Related article: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4515345">US reviews priorities of ($7.5Billion) Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill (for Pakistan's reconstruction)

[OhioChick]

1. K&R n/t

[Turborama]

2. 1 month later Sanjay Gupta has arrived. He just described it as if the whole of Florida was flooded

It seemed really ironic. Anderson Cooper in New Orleans reliving what went on 5 years ago and a quick 5 minute update from Pakistan about something at least 1,000 times bigger in scale (1 month later there are still 800,000 people stranded) that's happening right now.

There's something wrong with that picture...

Oh, and now, after the break, they're repeating a story about prostitutes selling sex on Craig's list that they showed about 2 weeks ago.



Thanks for the K&R BTW

[sabrina 1]

3. Priorities are what are wrong.

I read a story yesterday on Pakistan. The hospitals are filling up with children who are sick now, diarrhea and fever and other ailments resulting from exposure and lack of food etc.

I know there are some truly wonderful people there, like Save the Children and DWB, but no nearly enough.

I am glad the U.S. is doing more.

If Sanjay Gupta is there, maybe there will be more coverage now.

Thanks Turborama for keeping people informed.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Better late than never... :(

But they're going to need a lot more help for a very long time, if they're ever going to recover. Considering the media blackout on this story, I'm afraid what little attention it has gotten will fade fast. MSNBC is currently reporting on Tiger Woods' wife. :eyes: Thanks for keeping us up to speed on the developments... :( :hi:

[sabrina 1]

5. Strange isn't it? Considering how strategic Pakistan

is to U.S. foreign policy, that the news coverage here is so bad. You would think they would be discussing the effects of these floods on the war, eg.

The American people are kept in the dark about so many things. Europeans are getting far more coverage of this story.

Yet, the U.S. is sending in troops to help and money, and some of our politicians like Kerry, yet the media is so quiet about what really is a very big story. Certainly bigger than some of the stuff they cover.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. It totally baffles me.

When they had the hurricanes in Haiti or the earthquakes in Chile or even the tsunami, they had live coverage and reporters were falling all over each other to be there. But I've seen almost nothing on this, even on MSNBC, and they aren't afraid to report on the tough stories... :shrug: