Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joined President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman General James Cartwright to brief the press on progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan over the last twelve months. Before discussing the way forward, President Obama spoke of the passing of Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Representative Richard Holbrooke. He said, "Our efforts also reflect the dedication of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, whose memory we honor and whose work we'll continue. Indeed, the tributes to Richard that have poured in from around the globe speak to both the enormous impact of his life and to the broad international commitment to our shared efforts in this critical region."
President Obama then reviewed progress over the past year. He said, "I have spoken with President Karzai of Afghanistan… more »
Speaking before reporters today after her meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Mahmood Qureshi, Secretary Clinton said, "We have just wrapped up three days of intensive discussions in our third U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. Each of these sessions has been more productive than the last as we deepen our understanding of each other's needs and discover new opportunities for cooperation. This time, we have final blueprints from each of our 13 working groups. They lay out specific agreements, actions and benchmarks for making tangible improvements in the lives of the Pakistani people. These include projects in water, electricity, women's empowerment, health, agriculture, and most urgently, jumpstarting Pakistan's recovery from the catastrophic floods.
"...As we conclude this third Strategic Dialogue session in seven months, we can see that our intensive consultations,… more »
Today, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dan Feldman and USAID Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance Mark Ward provided an update on U.S. flood relief assistance to Pakistan. Mr. Ward began the briefing by speaking by his recent travel to the region. He said:
"I visited two parts of the country because I wanted to see in the south an area where the flood waters were still apparent, and I wanted to visit a part of the country in the north where the flood waters had gone down and people were starting to go home, so that I could see the contrast in the assistance that we are providing. I went to a place called Pano Aqil in the north of Sindh where the water was still pretty apparent. And it was terrific because I got to see firsthand what the U.S. military is doing. Their helicopters were still there, still delivering emergency… more »
The flooding in Pakistan, arguably the worst humanitarian disaster in the country's history, has left millions without safe drinking water and the threat of widespread waterborne disease outbreaks mounts. In response, countless private citizens in the United States and from around the world, and private U.S. organizations have contributed generously to the Pakistan Relief Fund. Their contributions have been matched by Proctor and Gamble (P&G) and the U.S. Government, resulting in a $2 million effort to provide water purification kits to Pakistani flood victims. These kits include buckets and filtering cloths, which will generate 280 million liters of clean drinking water… more »
Today, at the United Nations in New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi co-chaired the UN High-Level Ministerial Meeting on the Flood Emergency in Pakistan. Secretary Clinton delivered remarks at the meeting, where she said:
"...There is clearly a great deal of work still ahead of the international community. The United States has provided approximately $345 million in governmental assistance, which is about double of where we were when we gathered here one month ago. Details will be provided by USAID Administrator… more »
During his visit to Thatta, Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said, "The reconstruction phase is going to take a very long time. The devastation is enormous; the estimates of what it will cost run into tens of billions of dollars. But right now we just have to get the people back on their feet, the waters have to recede, we have to find out how many bridges and roads have been destroyed, and we have to help Pakistan fix that problem. The Pakistani economy was getting better, was getting stronger, when this happened and the international community had given billions of dollars to Pakistan, in Swat last year there was an immense effort. All of that effort was washed away by these floods."
The United States continues to focus on relief and recovery in Pakistan. To date, the United States has provided approximately $268 million,… more »
Today, the Office of the Spokesman issued the following statement, providing an update on the Pakistan Relief Fund:
The Department of State and USAID will deliver a number water purification kits, including buckets and filtering cloths, to Pakistanis affected by the worst humanitarian disaster in Pakistan's history. This critical assistance is possible because of the generous donations by countless private individuals and organizations to the Pakistan Relief Fund. As a result, approximately 32 million liters of clean water and supplies will reach 40,000 Pakistani households in desperate need. These numbers could easily double or triple with anticipated matched goods and funds.
On his recent trip to Pakistan, USAID Administrator Shah witnessed first-hand the devastation and suffering resulting from the floods. He also held consultations with U.S. humanitarian… more »
Mr. Feldman said, "Currently, the flood crest from the Indus River is finally entering the Indian Ocean. The good news at this point is that in most places, waters are no longer rising but are finally receding, including in Punjab. There are still enormous concerns, though, particularly on the health front about stagnant water, on shelter issues, and the… more »
Today, in a video statement, Secretary Clinton announced the establishment of the Pakistan Relief Fund, saying:
"...Now is a time for our shared humanity to move us to help. Americans have always shown great generosity to others facing crises around the world. And I call on you to do what you can. Every dollar makes a difference. Five dollars can buy 50 high energy bars providing much needed nutrition; $10 can provide a child or mother with a blanket; and about $40 can buy material to shelter a family of four...If we come together now, we can meet this challenge and ensure that future generations in Pakistan have a chance to have the bright future they deserve and fulfill their own God-given potential."
Created by the United States Government through the Department of State, the Fund serves as a mechanism for the public to contribute money to the ongoing… more »
It is enlightening to hear of such innovative ways to further positive diplomacy with the Pakistani people.
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Mazhar R. in Pakistan writes:
i must do appreciate for wonderful nice sincere and kind efforts for do help in Crisis in Pakistan made by the U.S and all who worked for that m from…
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Eric in New Mexico writes:
"It’s important to remember why we remain in Afghanistan. It was Afghanistan where al Qaeda plotted the 9/11 attacks that murdered 3,000 innocent people.…
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May 15: The United States and Indonesia demonstrated their commitment to enhancing bilateral science and technology cooperation at the inaugural Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation. more »
Assistant Secretary Gordon (May 14): "The Alliance is the mechanism through which the United States confronts diverse and difficult threats to our security together with like-minded states who share our fundamental values of democracy, human rights and rule of law. more »
![Distribution of bottled drinking water near Peshawar, Pakistan, Aug. 4, 2010. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0920_pakistan_water_relief_m.jpg)
![Children who survived floods wait for clean water, Peshawar, Pakistan Aug. 31, 2010. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0909_clean_water_pakistan_m.jpg)
![Pakistanis ride a bicycle as they cross a flooded road, Punjab, Pakistan, Aug. 30, 2010. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0830_pakistan_flooding_m.jpg)
