India announces additional 20 million dollars for Pak flood victims

New Delhi, Aug 31 (ANI): India on Tuesday announced an additional US 20 million dollars in aid to flood-affected Pakistan.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna made the announcement in the Lok Sabha today.

"Government has decided to increase its assistance to Pakistan from 5 million US dollars, announced earlier, to 25 million US dollars. Out of this amount, 20 million US dollars would be contributed to the 'Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan' launched by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs," said Krishna in a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha.

"The balance of five million US dollars would be contributed to the World Food Programme for its relief efforts in Pakistan. Prime Minister has rightly said that in such times of natural disasters, all of South Asia should rise to the occasion and extend every possible help to the affected people," he added.

Krishna further said India cannot remain unconcerned with this grave humanitarian crisis of enormous magnitude in our immediate neighbourhood.

"I had telephoned the Foreign Minister of Pakistan on August 13, 2010, and conveyed deepest sympathies and condolences to the people and Government of Pakistan, on this natural disaster, on behalf of the people and Government of India," said Krishna.

"As a gesture of solidarity with the people of Pakistan in their hour of need, I had also conveyed Government's offer of assistance of US five million dollars for provision of relief material from India for the flood victims in Pakistan," he added. (ANI)