Switzerland pledges CHF3 million to help Pakistan after floods

People affected by floods wait for relief in Sindh province, Pakistan, 11 September 2022. Keystone

Switzerland is allocating CHF3 million ($3.1 million) to help Pakistan confront one of the worst natural disasters in its history. This in response to an appeal for international aid from the Pakistani authorities, as almost a third of the country has been flooded as a result of intense monsoons.

Around CHF2 million will support the activities of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the context of the emergency appeal issued by the United Nations, said the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in a statement on Thursday. The IOM is active in the southern provinces of Pakistan, particularly affected by the disaster.

In addition, CHF200,000 will be given to the Swiss NGO Helvetas, which is carrying out projects in the areas of drinking water, food distribution and medicines, as well as basic necessities in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the northwest of the country. The rest will be used to finance the emergency response of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Swiss specialists were immediately deployed as soon as the waters began to rise, according to the statement. They are carrying out repairs in schools to enable more than 900 children to return to their classrooms;  restoring access to drinking water for more than 5,000 people and installing temporary footbridges to enable people to cross the rivers. 

More than 33 million people have been affected by the floods and more than 1,300 have lost their lives in Pakistan. Material damage is considerable and food security is a concern due to the loss of crops and the impossibility of cultivating completely flooded land. The risk of transmission of water-related diseases is also high, the Swiss foreign ministry noted.