Pakistan flood donations nearing $616 mn: UN

NEW YORK - United Nations member states have pledged just under $616 million in aid for flood-devastated Pakistan, the organisation’s new emergency aid coordinator, Valerie Amos, said Saturday in New York.

The UN has appealed for more than $2 billion to assist the estimated 14 million Pakistanis whose living conditions have been severely affected by the country’s worst-ever natural disaster.

The latest call for aid came one week ago, with the UN increasing its appeal to its 192 members by $1.6 billion - the largest in UN history.

The move came two months after severe flooding began ravaging the country along the Indus River, exacerbated by seasonal rains.

The UN said the $2 billion will cover 483 projects to be implemented by 15 UN organisations, the International Organisation of Migration and 156 non-governmental organisations.