[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 120 (Tuesday, August 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RELIEF EFFORTS TO ASSIST VICTIMS OF THE FLOODS IN PAKISTAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 10, 2010

  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest sympathy 
and condolences to the victims of the floods that began on July 29, 
2010 in northwestern Pakistan. Twelve million people have already been 
affected, and the Pakistani government estimates that millions more 
could be affected as the floods spread to the lower half of Punjab and 
the Sindh region. Already, there are counted more than 1600 dead, and 
the flooded regions have become plagued by water-borne diseases such as 
cholera and dysentery. The death toll could escalate tragically if 
major dams, such as the Guddu and Sukkur, fail as a result of the flood 
waters.
  The United States has taken an active role in responding to this 
disaster in Pakistan. The U.S. military has rescued hundreds of people 
and delivered tens of thousands of pounds of relief supplies. Hundreds 
of thousands of halal meals have been provided to victims and relief 
workers. The U.S. Agency for International Development is coordinating 
the $35 million in U.S. assistance funds that will help provide food, 
health care, water, sanitation, and shelter for those displaced by the 
floods. I commend the humanitarian efforts of our troops and civilian 
personnel in the region. We must continue to do all we can to assist 
the Pakistani people at this terrible time.

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