Washington: US flood relief assistance to Pakistan has touched $ 200 million figure, after USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah announced diverting of $ 50 million from its long-term aid package to the country.
"This $ 50 million latest block is money that will be redirected from other priorities under Kerry-Lugar-Berman, including pre-positioning of supplies in Pakistan to be able to more effectively assist the people of Pakistan when the flood waters begin to recede," State Department spokesman, P J Crowley, said adding that US will be re-evaluating its projects.
US is also expanding pre-existing programmes in flood-affected areas, providing temporary bridges, and mobilising significant US military and civilian resources to rescue victims of the disaster and deliver needed supplies.
US military and civilian aircraft continue to support flood relief operations.
By August 25, these aircraft have evacuated 8,010 people and delivered more than 1,800,000 pounds of relief supplies, a State Department fact sheet said.
An additional 1,000 rolls of plastic sheets have been delivered to Pakistan, bringing the total of the shelter materials to 5,063 rolls.
The plastic sheeting will provide temporary shelter for approximately 152,000 people.
Three additional mobile water treatment units arrived on Friday, bringing the total to nine now in Pakistan, it said.
US water treatment units have produced more than 5.4 million litres of clean water since August 8.
So far, the US brought in an additional 40 Zodiac inflatable rescue boats, bringing the total to 58. On August 25, US Air Force C-130 aircraft, based from Afghanistan, delivered 53,430 pounds of food and relief supplies from Rawalpindi to Sukkur and Rajanpur.
By August 24, the World Food Programme (WFP) had provided almost 1.9 million flood-affected beneficiaries with more than 22,300 metric tonnes of life-saving food.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which is partially funded by USAID, is providing 4.2 million packets of oral rehydration salts and 2.1 million zinc doses to female health workers conducting community-based management of diarrhoea in children under five years of age in flood-affected areas.
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