Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Final Cost of the Pakistan Floods

Latest related: Picking Up the Pakistan Floods

"Pakistan flood cost estimated at $9.5b" by Nahal Toosi, Associated Press  |  October 14, 2010

ISLAMABAD — International lenders are estimating that this summer’s floods caused $9.5 billion in damage to Pakistan’s infrastructure, agriculture, and other sectors, a government official said yesterday.

The estimate, drafted by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank in consultation with Pakistani leaders, underscores the financial challenges facing Pakistan, a US-allied nation that is battling an Islamist insurgency and was relying on international loans before the deluge.

Although other nations, including the United States, have contributed millions to the relief effort, they have warned Pakistan that they cannot foot the entire recovery and reconstruction bill, which some have estimated could surpass $40 billion.  

Because your country is not named Israel.

US officials, in particular, have urged Pakistan to improve its anemic tax collection to aid its long-term rebuilding.  

Related: Picking Through Pakistan

The $9.5 billion figure refers only to existing values of roads, buildings, irrigation systems, and other devastated sectors that were evaluated nationwide, not what it will cost to replace them, said the government official familiar with the report.

The replacement costs will depend on which projects the government chooses to pursue and whether it wants to rebuild certain structures in the same fashion or better, he said.

The floods began in late July during unusually heavy monsoon rains, eventually covering one-fifth of the country and affecting some 20 million of its 175 million people. Nearly 2,000 people died.

Dozens of bridges were washed away, while more than 1.9 million homes were damaged or destroyed. Around 5.9 million acres of farmland were damaged, a severe blow to agriculture, the most important pillar of Pakistan’s economy.

But that was months ago. 

Based on the shifting focus of the AmeriKan media one can only conclude the place has been rebuilt. We sure are dropping enough missiles on them.

Aid groups have struggled all along to raise funds to help Pakistan. With the disaster unfolding relatively slowly, and the number killed low compared to other major disasters such as the Haiti earthquake, experts said many countries and donors did not immediately realize the magnitude of the disaster.  

Or they didn't care because it was "terrorists."

The UN has appealed for just over $2 billion to help Pakistan’s emergency relief and early recovery, but has received only about one-third of that.  

Like I said, there country is not named Israel.

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And all the globalist government cares about is TAXES!


BRUSSELS — The international community yesterday welcomed Pakistan’s economic reform drive and pledge to boost tax collections, crucial steps if the country is to overcome terrorism and rebuild after summer floods affected 20 million people.  

This after all the elite scum have siphoned off millions.

A high-level meeting of the 24-member Friends of Democratic Pakistan agreed that “a safe, secure, stable, and prosperous Pakistan’’ is in the interest not just of Pakistan but the rest of the world, said Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief.

The floods eventually covered one-fifth of the country. Nearly 2,000 people died, while millions were left homeless, according to the United Nations....

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Also seeUneasy ties

On a mission to relieve the suffering

You would think a let-up in missile strikes was in order, but....