ISLAMABAD, July 15: The European Commission has increased its humanitarian assistance by 6 million euros to support the people affected by last year’s floods and the conflict in tribal areas.

The funding is being made in addition to 76 million euros allocated earlier this year.

The new assistance will be spent on food assistance and fighting malnutrition in areas which were affected by the floods.

A year after the disaster self-sufficiency is still very low and the risk to malnutrition remains high.

The amount will be spent through the commission’s partners working for humanitarian assistance like the International Committee of the RedCross, the Pakistan Emergency Food Security Alliance comprising the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, Action Against Hunger, Care, the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Save the Children and Unicef.

A press release issued on Friday quoted Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, as saying “the number of people who are unable to afford food and the rates of malnutrition have reached alarming levels in some parts of Pakistan where the struggle for survival continues for the flood and conflict-stricken communities”.

That’s why the commission was expanding its humanitarian assistance to these vulnerable people, the commissioner explained.In 2010, the European Commission gave 150 million euros in humanitarian aid in Pakistan. The immediate priorities were shelter, food assistance, the provision of clean drinking water, access to healthcare and sanitation.