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EC pledges $7.5 million aid for Pakistan's conflict victims
 BRUSSELS: The European Commission (EC) pledged on Thursday $7.5 million as emergency humanitarian aid for the hundreds of thousands of affected civilians in the conflict-ridden northwest of Pakistan. Over 834,000 civilians have now fled a military assault on the Taliban, holed up in Pakistan's rugged northwest, where artillery pounded rebel bastions on Thursday.
| Pledging is easy. Actually disbursing monies under current economic conditions is hard, as the Gazans have recently become aware. |
"As a result of the intensified fighting in Swat and other parts of the country, Pakistan is facing not only a security threat but also a humanitarian threat," said European Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel. "Pakistani authorities are doing their utmost but their relief capacities are now overstretched," he said, announcing the release of $7.5 million aid while adding that more could be provided "if necessary".
| And it will be after the pols take their cuts. And the UN gets theirs for 'expenses' ... |
| "Nothin'from nothin' leaves nothin'", isn't that how the song goes? |
The European Union's (EU) executive arm stressed that its aid was provided on a neutral basis for the provision of basic humanitarian needs such as food, shelter, clothes and medical support. All the funds would be channelled to the projects run by non-governmental relief organisations, specialised UN agencies and the Red Thingy Cross movement.
Posted by: Steve White 2009-05-15 |
