US says Kerry's Pak visit will propel international response to floods

Washington, Aug 14(ANI): The United States has said that Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry's visit to flood-ravaged Pakistan next week would help raise the level of international response to the disaster.

Kerry, who is the co-architect of a multi-year 7.5 billion dollar aid measure for Pakistan, will be the first senior US policymaker to visit the country since the disaster, which has claimed of over 1600 people and affected up to 15 million people.

"This will be a critical visit to help raise the profile among publics both in the US and internationally," The Dawn quoted Dan Feldman, US Deputy Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, as saying.

He further said that the trip marks a "continuing US commitment to the South Asian country".

The Obama administration has already pledged 76 million dollars in financial and humanitarian assistance.

They have also dispatched more than a dozen heavy-capacity helicopters, water-purification units, ready-to-eat meals, shelter materials and field hospitals.

American citizens have also been urged to contribute 10 dollars each (by texting word SWAT to number 50555 from their cell phones), which will be administered through the UN High Commission for Refugees. (ANI)