UK Announces Additional Rs454 Million Aid for Sindh Ahead of Expected Floods
Karachi: The United Kingdom has announced an additional £1.2 million (approximately Rs454 million) in emergency assistance to support preparedness for the anticipated devastating floods in Sindh, bringing its total humanitarian aid for Pakistan this season to £2.53 million (around Rs958 million).
According to the British High Commission in Islamabad, the funds will be directed to NGOs working in Sindh to strengthen early warning systems, support evacuations from vulnerable areas, identify and assist high-risk households, stock essential supplies, safeguard livestock, and prepare evacuation centers.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott CMG, OBE, emphasized the importance of timely disaster preparedness, stating:
“Every dollar spent on prevention saves up to seven times the cost of post-disaster recovery. Most importantly, it helps save lives and protects communities before disasters strike.”
The new funding follows the UK’s earlier announcement on August 22 of £1.33 million (Rs503.6 million) in assistance for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan. That aid targeted immediate response and recovery, including food supplies, search and rescue operations, mobile medical camps, restoration of clean drinking water systems, repair of irrigation channels, and revival of agricultural and economic activities.
In addition, under the *Start Ready Disaster Risk Financing* mechanism, the UK had already disbursed £500,000 (Rs189 million) to help 20,000 people in Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prepare for future flood risks.
The British High Commission said the overall package is expected to benefit more than 400,000 people across Pakistan by providing life-saving medicines, essential supplies, and disaster resilience support.
