The Committee on Development (DEVE) debate with OCHA and other humanitarian actors on state of play of the humanitarian situation in Pakistan, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

exchange of views

EU - Pakistan (T)

Committee on Development

natural disasters (T)

GEORGIEVA, Kristalina (BG)

Humanitarian situation in Pakistan: state of play and way forward: extracts from the debate with OCHA and other humanitarian actors

SOUNDBITE (English), Jalil ABBAS JILANI, Ambassador of Pakistan in Belgium, One way that the International Community and the EU could help Pakistan is by providing enhanced market access... That would bring more investment to the country, create more jobs and would reduced the effects of the devastation we have suffered.

SOUNDBITE (English), Antoine GERARD, Head of OCHA Liaison Office in Belgium, On the urgent need of more helicopters for helping the humanitarian tasks so to get access to the population.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dermot CARTY, UNICEF Deputy Director of Emergency Programmes, There are something like 4 million children under the age of five that are directly affected by this emergency, and this children are the most vulnerable... the danger of diarrheal disease, upraise of cholera, etc. is specially high.

SOUNDBITE (English), Francois BELLON, Head of Delegation at International Committee of the Red Cross, We are considering today a new appeal of some 77 million Swiss francs which in addition to our initial budget of 57 million would be a total budget of roughly 134 million Swiss francs. We plan to reach in the coming weeks some 1.4 million in food assistance and 700 thousand people in non food. One of the main problems we have to be cautious in this context is the issue of security. Indeed in different areas we cannot forget that there is a conflict... confusion could put at risk humanitarian workers in this context.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kristalina GEORGIEVA, European Commissioner, What I herd from Pakistani authorities was very clear: people look for help, and if help is there, the probability is that this will work against extremism, and it will work for democracy, especially if we introduce measures in place for transparency and accountability... And yet, the opposite is also true, if help doesn't reach people, if they are desperate, then the country can be destabilised, and risks are there...