Pakistan's 'image deficit' slowing flow of aid

Updated August 17, 2010 20:18:30

A United Nations aid official says humanitarian agencies are struggling to get funds for millions of flood victims in Pakistan because the country suffers from an 'image deficit' linked to the Taliban and terrorism. But Australia's foreign minister Stephen Smith admits that's the very reason why the world should be increasing its assistance.

Presenter: Claudette Werden
Speakers: Tim Irwin, spokesperson, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Elizabeth Byrs, spokesperson, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Stephen Smith, Australian foreign minister

WERDEN: One fifth of Pakistan is under water because of the three weeks of torrential rains that have triggered the worst floods in 80 years - an estimated 20 million people have been affected and there's concern that aid money is not coming in fast enough to stave off - what's been described as - a 'second wave of deaths' from diseases like typhoid and cholera. Tim Irwin, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

IRWIN: In certain areas, we've seen the waters receding, which leaves its own problems in that you've got stagnant water, you've got farmland which can't be used, people's homes have been either damaged or destroyed. You know, unfortunately, with disasters of this kind there are certain stages which you can look ahead to. Now, the flooding is ongoing we still have very much an emergency situation. In certain areas, where the waters have receded, we're looking at the threat of water borne diseases. These waters have been severely damaging. The monsoons in this part of South Asia are generally what brings life to the continent and they rely on it entirely for their farming for the year and that's obviously going to be very much affected by this.

WERDEN: The United Nations last week launched an emergency appeal for US$460 million to cover the next 90 days. So far it's received 35 per cent of the funds. Elizabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, says the world has been slow to respond to the humanitarian crisis.

BYRS: This image deficit is one of the possible explanation to this slow response. First of all, floods are not striking the minds as an earthquake can do, for instance Haiti or the tsunami. It came very slowly, it started as local disaster and we ended up with national disaster. Regarding the image deficit, you notice that very often Pakistan is in the mind of the people in the public opinion linked to a kind of war area, where the safety is not the best.

WERDEN: The World Bank has agreed to loan Islamabad US$900 million, warning the impact of the disaster on the economy is expected to be 'huge'. Australia's foreign minister, Stephen Smith, says the flooding will also worsen Pakistan's social and security problems, he admits Australia's increase in aid is not solely based on humanitarian grounds.

SMITH: Our primary motivation is humanitarian, to do the right thing, but there are also strategic considerations. Pakistan is strategically a very important place which has grave difficulties. What we don't want to occur is that the people who are standing shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan on its security front are not also standing shoulder to shoulder on the humanitarian front.

WERDEN: There is concern among aid agencies and the international community that some of the relief is going to areas under Taliban control. But Elizabeth Byrs from the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs says UN aid is carefully supervised and she suggests addressing the needs of Pakistan's millions of flood victims is the most effective way of allaying security concerns.

BYRS: When people can drink potable water, get food, they are not ready to listen to any speech of any kind, they need to get this relief as soon as possible, a victim is a victim, everywhere, and I think when you have food and portable water, you don't listen to the political speech, you're more ready to live your life, so there is less influence from any kind of group.