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Pakistan says ready for floods, refuses aid

by Nita Bhalla | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Monday, 29 August 2011 10:07 GMT

* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Despite forecasts that annual monsoon rains could trigger major flooding in parts of Pakistan, the government has refused to accept foreign aid, saying that it is prepared to respond should a humanitarian emergency arise, the Express Tribune reported on Monday.

Despite forecasts that annual monsoon rains could trigger major flooding in parts of Pakistan, the government has refused to accept foreign aid, saying that it is prepared to respond should a humanitarian emergency arise, the Express Tribune reported on Monday.

The country is still reeling from last year's epic deluge, which left one-fifth of its land -- an area the size of Italy -- underwater, disrupting the lives of more than 18 million people and prompting the United Nations to appeal for almost $2 billion in aid.

"We are coordinating with the UN and holding consultations but at the same time, Pakistan has to learn from the 2010 floods and work on the issues that were brought up last year," Zafar Iqbal Qadir, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, was quoted as saying.

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