India ups Pakistan flood aid to $25 mn

NEW DELHI - India has raised its aid for Pakistan flood victims to $25 million from the $5 million announced earlier, but the assistance will be routed through the United Nations, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said in the Lok Sabha Tuesday.

“(The) government has decided to increase its assistance to Pakistan from $5 million, announced earlier, to $25 million. Out of this amount, $20 million would be contributed to the ‘Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Plan’ launched by the UN for the coordinator of humanitarian affairs,” Krishna said while making a statement on India’s offer of assistance to Pakistan for flood relief.

The minister said the balance of $5 million would be contributed to the World Food Programme for its relief efforts in Pakistan.

India had initially offered aid of $5 million towards flood relief in Pakistan. The offer was made by Krishna to his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

It took Pakistan a few days to accept the aid, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also offered to his Pakistani counterpart Mohammed Yusuf Gilani in a telephone call.

Last week, the Pakistan Foreign Office said that India should route its aid through UN. It cited no reason for this stand.

Floods in Pakistan that began July 28 have claimed at least 1,600 lives and affected over 20 million people.