US military begins airlift of critical flood relief items to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The US military has started flood-relief operations, airlifting life-saving humanitarian supplies to support people and communities affected by ongoing, severe flooding in Pakistan.

The US Embassy in Islamabad, in a statement, said that Centcom, in support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is working to help Pakistanis in times of need as cataclysmic floods wreaked havoc killing over 1,300 people across the country.

The US supplies include nearly $2.2 million worth of essential life support resources, including food preparation and shelter materials, which will be delivered in approximately 20 different shipments around the country.

A Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) was deployed on September 2 to lead the US government’s response efforts, which the US military response is supporting.

The total amount of the flood response to date is $30.1 million, including these airlifted humanitarian supplies, it added.

“Our humanitarian donations are prioritizing urgently needed food, nutrition, multi-purpose cash, safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene, and shelter assistance,” the embassy said, adding the Biden administration remains deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the catastrophic flooding throughout Pakistan.

This support, it added, will save lives and reduce suffering among the most vulnerable affected communities and the crisis will be monitored in close coordination with local partners and Pakistani authorities.