Oxfam reaction to UN’s $459m Pakistan flood appeal

Responding to the United Nations announcement that it is calling for $459m for the Pakistan flood response, Jane Cocking, the Humanitarian Director of Oxfam, who is in Swat in northern Pakistan, visiting flood-affected people said:

"This is a disaster of staggering scale. Swathes of Pakistan are still under-water and the needs are immense. There needs be a rapid injection of funds and the UN and donors must do everything to ensure that these funds become frontline aid quickly.

"The people affected by this disaster do not have time on their side. Many have lost everything; their homes and regular lives were swept away in the flood water. I have met people in Swat who have walked for days just to get food for their families to eat.

"This is a huge disaster and needs a huge response. Everyone – donors, the UN, aid agencies, the government – all of us need to shift gear on this crisis. We need to get help to all that need it. This is a race against time."

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Oxfam's humanitarian response to the Pakistan floods