APCEA presents fresh donation worth US $104,000 for Pakistani PM’s Flood Relief Fund

Islamabad: The All Pakistan Chinese Enterprises Association (APCEA) led by its president Yang Jianduo has presented to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a fresh donation worth US $104,000 for the PM’s Flood Relief Fund.

The Prime Minister thanked the Association for extending assistance to the flood victims, a PM Office statement said.

Before the latest donation, APCEA has already donated more than Pakistani Rs 400 million to the flood affectees of Pakistan.

As per the detail, the donations include Rs. 280 million in cash assistance and Rs. 120 million in the form of tents, ration bags, drinking water, clothing item, medical supplies, and infrastructure repairs.

“Ever since the severe floods started in Pakistan, APCEA started immediate and prompt action encouraging our members and advised for donating cash, tents, food and rebuilding houses and other infrastructures and relief of Pakistani people,” said APCEA Chairman Yang Jianduo in a video message.

In August, APCEA donated Rs 15.5 million to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Prime Minister Relief Fund 2022. Following the cash assistance with NDMA, APCEA launched collecting donations under “emergency aid”.

Yang Jianduo said that according to the statistics of their association the total amount collected so far “exceeds Rs. 400 million”, adding that APCEA is also part of a “significant number of flood relief activities”.

The latest government data put the death toll in Pakistani floods at 1,725 people, including 643 children, with more than 33 million people affected by what was described as “a monsoon on steroids” by the United Nations chief Antonio Guterres.

The deluge resulted in damage to more than 13,000km of road networks; some 3,000km of railway tracks; more than two million houses; hundreds of bridges; livestock and hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land.

After putting the initial damages figure at US $ 10 billion, the Pakistani government subsequently revised it to upwards of US $ 30 billion. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the World Bank had put the damages estimate at US $ 40 billion.

The UN this month revised an initial aid flash appeal for US $ 160 million to US $ 816 million. But Pakistani officials say the country so far has only received close to US $ 100 million of funds, despite higher pledges by friendly countries and global institutions.