UK provides Rs 1.10 billion aid for flood hit Pak kids

Sukkur (Pakistan), Sep 2 (ANI): The Deputy Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Nick Clegg, on Thursday sanctioned Rs1.10 billion for the welfare of children in flood-ravaged Pakistan.

After seeing the destruction caused by the devastating floods in Pakistan, which has left hundreds of people killed and thousands homeless, the UK deputy premier sounded an alert that flood-hit Pakistan will need aid for many years to come.

After visiting different flood relief camps of Sukkur on Wednesday, he said that in one of the worst hit regions; the "aftershocks" (of the flood disaster) would "last for a long time', The News reports.

Clegg during his visit to the relief camps praised Britain's donations, but said the worldwide response has been too slow.

"The British government has committed 33 million Euros in aid to help deal with the disaster. I think of the sheer scale of this, it is really quite difficult to comprehend," said Clegg.

"We have to make a huge effort to provide important emergency aid, but really stick with this for a long term," he added stressing that the floodwaters had not drained out in many areas and there was a "real danger of diseases taking hold.

The UK Premier also warned that the disaster caused due to the massive floods could increase the influence of extremist groups.

The floods, triggered by torrential monsoon downpours last month, have claimed the lives of over 1,600 people.

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. (ANI)