India offers additional 20 mn dollars to Pakistan

India on Tuesday offered an additional $ 20 million aid to Pakistan for rehabilitation efforts for its flood affected people.

Announcing the grant, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told the Lok Sabha that the additional funds will be for Pakistan’s readiness to accept India’s initial aid offer of 5 million dollars which to be routed through the United Nations.
“As a more concrete assessment of the damage inflicted by this natural disaster and the urgent needs of the people of Pakistan emerges, the Government has decided to increase its assistance to Pakistan from $ 5 million, announced earlier, to $ 25 million,” Krishna said a statement.

“Of the total aid, $ 20 million will go to ‘Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan’ launched by the UN office, for the coordination of humanitarian efforts, he said.

“The balance $ 5 million would be contributed to the World Food Programme for its relief efforts in Pakistan,” Krishna said.