United Nations and the government of Pakistan will formally apply to the UN tomorrow Tuesday for a $160 million donation to fund emergency relief Pakistanwhich they rolled unprecedentedly floodsThis was stated today by the representative of the UN Secretary General.

Tens of millions of Pakistanis are struggling to cope with the worst monsoon rains in the past three decades, which have killed 1,136 people, demolished countless homes and destroyed vital farmland, affecting 33 million people.

And “the situation is expected to get worse as the rains continue,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for António Guterres, said at a press briefing.

In this context, “together with the government, we envisage an urgent call for $160 million in emergency relief activities,” he said, specifying that this will be done tomorrow.

“The UN has already mobilized $7 million, mostly by redirecting money from other programs to finance the most urgent needs”, “food, water, medicines, maternal health, housing …” – he specified. And another 3 million has been allocated from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.

They are considering importing vegetables from India

Meanwhile, Pakistani Finance Minister Miftah Ismail announced that his country would consider importing vegetables from its main competitor, India, to cushion the impact of the floods as food prices soared.

“We may consider importing vegetables from India,” the minister told local television station Geo News.

Turkey and Iran may also be other options, he said.

The UN mobilization was announced after the International Monetary Fund approved the renewal of an aid loan to Pakistan as a third of the country faces heavy monsoon rains and is already suffering from a severe economic crisis, the finance minister said.

“We are expected to receive the 7th and 8th tranches in the amount of $1.7 billion,” Miftah Ismail said in a Twitter post.

Many anti-popular measures have been taken in recent months by Shabaz Sharif’s government, which came to power in April. Among them are the increase in energy prices by more than 50% and the introduction of corporate income tax.

Islamabad has currently received $3 billion from this loan program and wants it extended until June 2023.

^{Source: APE, AFP, Reuters.}