Van Hollen Statement on H Res 1613
Washington,
Sep 16, 2010 -
Madam Speaker,
As an original sponsor of this resolution, I join Chairman Berman, Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen and my colleagues in strong support of H Res 1613, a resolution expressing our condolences and support to the Pakistani people as they face a humanitarian disaster of monumental dimensions.
Today, a fifth of the country of Pakistan is under water as the country endures the greatest flooding in a century. More than 1,750 people have lost their lives, over 2,700 people have been injured and almost 2 million homes have been destroyed—displacing millions of men, women and children. Hundreds of bridges have been destroyed, cutting off communities from relief supplies. And many communities lie vulnerable to cholera and other epidemics as access to clean drinking water diminishes. This disaster has impacted the lives of tens of millions of people.
Acting swiftly, the U.S. government joined forces with the Pakistani government to provide immediate assistance. American military helicopters were redirected to rescue efforts within hours of the Pakistani Government’s request for help. American military aircraft began delivering hundreds of thousands of meals and millions of pounds of relief supplies to the affected areas. We have provided heavy-duty waterproof sheeting to construct temporary shelters for more than 100,000 people, rescue boats, construction equipment, water filtration units, and even prefabricated bridges. We are working hand-in-hand with the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority to ensure this assistance is delivered expeditiously to those in need.
Additionally, the U.S. has pledged more than $150 million toward emergency flood relief. Approximately $92 million of that total is in direct support of the UN relief plan. USAID and the State Department are also working together to redirect $60 million of the $7.5 billion Pakistan development aid package to flood recovery and reconstruction efforts. And, in light of fast moving events on the ground, USAID Administrator Shah has expressed an intention to re-evaluate future uses of the Pakistan aid package.
This is a time of great crisis for the Pakistani people and they urgently need our help. This resolution expresses our support for the people of Pakistan as they face this unprecedented catastrophe and encourages the Obama Administration to re-examine its priorities for using funds under the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 in light of the crisis.
I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
Congressman Chris Van Hollen
