According to a press release issued by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on October 31, the United States (US) has âno plans to diminish its support of its ally, Pakistan, in its hour of needâ and hopes that the international community will increase relief effort commitments. The frequency of humanitarian flights to Pakistan by the US military has increased and will not be cut back regardless of whether additional donations to the United Nations relief effort are forthcoming from other countries.
The recent media focus on the UNâs calls for donations to maintain relief operations in Pakistan prompted the US Embassy in Islamabad to issue a clarification that the US operations are not tied to the status of such additional funding. In the three weeks since the earthquake, 24 US helicopters have flown more than 930 sorties into quake-ravaged areas, delivering nearly 4 million pounds of supplies and evacuating more than 3,000 individuals injured in the quake, said CENTCOM. The US plans to increase the number of helicopters carrying out the relief and rescue operations.
| And in return we've been shot at. Welcome to Pakland. There is no word in Urdu for "gratitude." |
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