HELSINKI, Oct 22: The World Bank will significantly increase aid to Pakistan to help reconstruct regions devastated by the Oct 8 earthquake, its president Paul Wolfowitz said here on Saturday.

“We have already said we expect our contribution to grow significantly, especially in the reconstruction phase,” Wolfowitz said.

“Frankly right now, the scale of the disaster is so enormous, the fact is the big part of the effort has to go finding out what the needs really are.

“Some precision about needs is actually quite important at this stage. My impression is that the government in Pakistan is doing everything that is humanly possible and the money is not the constraint at the moment but there is going to be a lot of help, probably to the tune of several billion dollars and I am sure there is going to be an upward generosity,” he added.

“The entire world community and certainly the World Bank will participate.” —AFP