KARACHI, Jan 8: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has told a visiting United Nations Development Programme team that the situation in flood-affected areas is still very alarming and called upon the international community to extend further help for the rehabilitation of flood victims.

He said this when the UNDP team met him on Saturday and discussed the situation prevailing in the province in the wake of the devastation caused by the floods in most of the districts of the province affecting more than seven million people.

He appreciated the role of the United Nations especially the efforts of the Secretary General who persuaded the world nations to come forward and help the affected people in Pakistan who were facing hardship because of the devastation wrought by the floods.

Mr Shah said that 50 per cent affected people were still facing hardship and were in acute need of shelter, food and other relief goods.

He maintained that the overall situation was alarming and all countries be approached to come forward and extend further help and assistance so as to meet the needs of the affected people.

The chief minister supported the proposal of holding a seminar organised by the government of Sindh and the UNDP and inviting representatives of foreign countries.

He said that before holding the seminar, the pros and cons of the conference must be reviewed for better coordination.

He said that the floods had destroyed the infrastructure and affected houses and educational and health institutions.

He said that special measures were made for rescue and relief work while the rehabilitation and reconstruction was continuing. He said more help was required from donor agencies.

He said that there was an overall loss of $4.2 billion while the provincial government had made adequate arrangements with expenses of over 45 per cent resources.Sindh Rehabilitation Minister Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujra, adviser to the chief minister on planning and development Kaisar Bengali and Sindh chief secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha briefed the participants of the meeting on work so far done on rehabilitation and reconstruction of flood-affected people and areas in the province.

The meeting was informed that half of the total affected people were still in camps and the situation was very critical. They appreciated the role of the UNDP for affected people.

The meeting was informed that the UNDP team went to various areas particularly in Thatta district and met the people of various departments and industrialists.

It was further informed that post-flood issues had been discussed in detail and a line of action was being evolved.

Deputy country director of programmes of UNDP Jean Luc Stalon, expert UNDP Thomas Gurtner, country representatives of British Red Cross John English, CEO of British Red Cross Sir Nicholas Young-Unocha and Dr Salman Safdar and UNDP representative Dr Hafiz Pasha informed the meeting that the United Nations had mobilised the world and approached the people concerned for providing assistance for flood-affected people.

The meeting was informed that the UNDP generated financial assistance worth $1 billion out of which $300 million had been provided for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction works.

They further said that a special case would be forwarded to various countries for further help.

They said that it was the Sindh government which initiated efforts in this regard while the UNDP extended support.

They appreciated the planning of rehabilitation and further stressed the need for more coordinated efforts and suggested many proposals in this connection.

The UNDP would provide panels, water heaters and pumps run by solar energy to 105 most flood-affected communities in Sindh, Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa and Punjab.

They further informed the participants of the meeting that so far after receiving $2 million from COFRA Foundation for flood victims, the UNDP programme was being supported to meet basic energy needs of flood-affected communities.

They added that the COFRA Foundation was a philanthropic arm of the COFRA Holding AG based in Switzerland.

The meeting was also attended by additional chief secretary (P&D) Muhammad Ishaq Lashari, chief economist Dr Qazi Masood, secretary to Sindh chief minister Ahmed Bux Narejo and others.