$160m UN Flash Appeal for flood donations set to launch on August 30: FO

Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar addressing his weekly press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, on April 25, 2022. — Facebook/foreignofficepk

• UN to launch $160m appeal.
• Appeal will trigger international community’s response as well as bilateral assistance from countries.
• Appeal set to launch simultaneously from Geneva and Islamabad on August 30.

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The United Nations is set to launch a Flash Appeal in support of Pakistan following devastating rains and floods that have disrupted the lives of millions in the country.

According to a report by Dawn, the UN will launch a $160 million appeal.

In his weekly press briefing on Friday, Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said a UN Flash Appeal will be launched on Tuesday, August 30, simultaneously from Geneva and Islamabad.

"As you can see, the scale of the disaster is so huge that it requires urgent cooperation and support from the international community. We are grateful to the UN, IFIs, and a host of our partners and friendly countries who are stepping forward with assistance," he said.

In response to a question over whether the government plans to organise an International Donor Conference the spokesperson said that the government has mobilised efforts since late July and early August "but it is obvious that we do require international assistance to complement the national effort".

"Just to let you know there was a donor’s conference yesterday at the Economic Affairs Division, in which a number of UN Agencies and many resident diplomatic missions were represented, and the Prime Minister himself participated," he said.

The spokesperson added: "We have engaged the UN system right from the beginning. The UN Resident Coordinator and his team, they have been working on this issue for many days now, visiting the flood hit areas, making assessments, working with the NDMA to produce this joint assessment, the document that will be presented, on the basis of which the flash appeal will be launched."

According to the spokesperson, the UN flash appeal "is very significant", and "will trigger the international community’s response as well as bilateral assistance from other countries".

Speaking of how the government will ensure fake organisations do not collect funds on behalf of the UN, he said: "I think everyone knows UN’s agencies and their programs. All I can say is that we should remain vigilant about the kind of organisations you are referring to."

What is a flash appeal?

A United Nations Flash Appeal is an internationally recognised tool used to quickly secure funds for United Nations Agencies and non‐government organisations (NGOs), to support a government’s response to an emergency.

The process is undertaken under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and in line with clear priorities set by the government. It is used to encourage international donors, both government and private sector, to contribute funds. The Flash Appeal outlines activities proposed by United Nations (UN) agencies and non‐government organisations (NGOs) to achieve the strategic priorities outlined by the government and complement their response. It also outlines the total funds required for the proposed activities, as well as project details.

The Flash Appeal covers a three month period.

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