segunda-feira, 23 de agosto de 2010

Pakistan aid target 'reaches 70%'


The UN says it has now raised about 70% of the money it needs to provide emergency relief to people affected by the floods in Pakistan.
Nearly 17 million people have been affected by the floods.
The International Monetary Fund is to start talks with Pakistan later to discuss what it can do to help deal with the crisis.
Aid agency Oxfam says the disaster is on the scale of the Asian tsunami plus the devastation of Haiti's earthquake.
The UN says it has now raised close to 70% of the $460m (£295m) it called for in its emergency appeal.
Some $54m are in uncommitted pledges, and $263m are resources available now.
In the UK, relief agencies have said public donors have given £29m ($45m) to the relief effort.
They also said the international response had been slow to build up, but that they had received more donations in the second week than the first week, which was rarely seen in such appeals.
The talks with Pakistan on Monday will allow the IMF to assess how best to help. It says the floods that have struck Pakistan pose a "massive economic challenge" and it will review the country's budget and financial prospects. BBC News