TOKYO, Oct 9: The World Bank has offered $20 million to Pakistan to cope with the devastating earthquake, bank president Paul Wolfowitz said on Sunday.
Wolfowitz, who is on a visit to Tokyo, also urged international donors to coordinate efforts to help South Asian nations battered by the earthquake, rather than trying to compete over aid.
“I know from our team in Pakistan that we have already offered $20 million of IDA assistance to the government of Pakistan to help them deal with this tragedy,” Wolfowitz told reporters.
The International Development Association (IDA) is the World Bank’s main lending arm for poor countries.
He added that past earthquakes in Turkey and Iran and the tsunami disaster in Asia have given the international community many experiences and lessons to learn from at a time of terrible natural disasters.
“I think one of the most important lessons that our team has emphasised is the need for everyone to work as a team,” he said.
“This kind of situation calls for a great deal of generosity from great many donors and the part of the challenge is to coordinate the generosity in the way that makes it most effective.”
He stressed that international donors should not get into a race to compete over aid.
“Donors should recognise that this is not a case where you want to put your name on flagship projects. It is a case where you want to coordinate your efforts most effectively,” he added.
Many international donors have already offered rescue teams and aid to Pakistan.
The United States said it would provide $100,000 in emergency aid funding to the country and was also offering military helicopters.
Japan, Britain, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates were among other countries dispatching immediate help, as the sudden official jump in the death toll on Sunday from less than 2,000 to more than 19,400 created a sense of urgency.
ADB offer:
The Asian Development Bank on Sunday offered 10 million dollars in immediate aid and assistance to the worst affected areas of Pakistan and said it was ready to offer more if needed.
ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda announced the offer.
The money would be reallocated from ongoing projects for immediate emergency assistance for NWFP as well as Kashmir, the Manila-based bank said in a statement.
The ADB could significantly increase its assistance, depending on detailed assessments of the damage caused by the earthquakes, Kuroda said.
“We at ADB are in touch with authorities and stand ready to offer assistance if required.”
Peter Fedon, ADB’s country director in Pakistan, said teams already in place for existing projects in the hardest-hit districts would be immediately mobilized to carry out rehabilitation and reconstruction work.
Priorities would include rehabilitation of affected school buildings and rural health centres, roads and bridges, and water supply and electricity infrastructure in rural areas, the bank said.
“In consultation with the government authorities, ADB will dispatch a needs assessment mission to earthquake affected areas. Subsequent ADB assistance would be linked to and complement other humanitarian relief efforts,” it said.
The ADB can draw upon extensive experience in emergency rehabilitation assistance following natural disasters.—Agencies
