US says its troops will keep helping in flood affected areas till Pak needs such aid

ISLAMABAD - US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter has said that his country’s troops would continue relief and rehabilitation efforts in the flood-affected areas as long as Pakistan needed this cooperation.

Addressing American troops at Ghazi Air Base, the ambassador praised the hard work being put in by them in rescue, relief and supply of food items in the flood affected areas.

Munter said that the relief operations being conducted by American helicopters and troops is crucial to further strengthen bilateral relations.

“America is committed to help and assist Pakistan in this relief and rehabilitation work in the worst ever flood affected areas,” the News quoted Munter, as saying.

The “worst floods in Pakistan’s history”, triggered by torrential monsoon downpours in July, had claimed the lives of over 1,900 people and disrupted the lives of over 21 million people, eight percent of the population.

The floods first struck the western province of Baluchistan on July 22 before inundating the worst-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and then entering Punjab and Sindh.

It is estimated that over two million homes were damaged or destroyed.

The Asian Development Bank and the World Bank have estimated that the floods inflicted 9.5 billion dollars losses to Pakistan’s economy. (ANI)