[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13594]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   THE COMPLEX EMERGENCY IN PAKISTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Recently, Mr. Speaker, I met with a distinguished group 
of Pakistani Americans whom I proudly represent in the Seventh 
Congressional District of Maryland. I listened to their perspectives 
regarding the current situation in Pakistan.
  Ladies and gentlemen, I rise today to share their concerns, and I 
urge each of you to recognize the complex emergency that is taking 
place in Pakistan. The situation requires our immediate attention and 
assistance.
  As you should be aware, more than 3 million people have been 
displaced from the Swat Valley area of Pakistan since early April 2009. 
At a rate of approximately 85,000 people fleeing per day, the unfolding 
internal displacement crisis in Pakistan is the fastest movement of 
people in such massive numbers since the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The 
United Nations has warned of a long-term humanitarian crisis, and it 
has called for massive aid for the refugees.
  President Obama's administration took a proactive role in providing 
humanitarian aid to the internally displaced people. The 
administration's recent announcement to provide $110 million in 
additional humanitarian aid was the beginning of a new era of 
friendship and trust between the governments and the people of Pakistan 
and the United States. Although this funding was a significant first 
step, it is only a fraction of what is required to repatriate the 
internally displaced people to their homes and to reestablish some 
degree of normalcy in their lives.
  All efforts must be made for the safe and early return of the 
internally displaced Pakistanis to their homes. The United States, 
along with the international community, must come together and provide 
the needed assistance.
  Recently, I sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to 
ask that she immediately increase her appeal of help to the 
international community from the current $500 million to $1 billion in 
humanitarian aid to provide immediate assistance to the internally 
displaced people from Swat. Lending support of this magnitude equates 
to a small pledge of approximately $400 per IDP.
  The second concern is the impression the Pakistani people have about 
the United States' interest. We must work to dispel the image the 
Pakistanis have about our country. The time has come to establish a 
long-term, consistent policy to close the trust deficit in our 
relationship by making investments in Pakistan's future.
  I believe that the United States needs to take immediate action which 
translates into goodwill in the eyes of the Pakistanis. Effective ways 
to accomplish this goal by directly impacting people's lives include 
providing more humanitarian aid, investing in infrastructure 
development projects such as electrical power plants, road construction 
and railway improvements, and contributing to bilateral trade. It is 
imperative that we focus on projects with a tangible outcome that 
improve the well-being of Pakistanis. Pakistanis are putting faith into 
democratic movements. Now we must learn how to relate to them and how 
to build their confidence in our ability to deliver on our promises.
  My discussion with the Pakistani Americans in my district was an eye 
opener that allowed me to gain their perspectives on the current 
situation in Pakistan. I encouraged Ambassador Holbrooke to and he has 
agreed to sit down with a small group on June 12, 2009, so that he, 
too, can get a better understanding of the complex issues that the 
people of Pakistan now face.
  I also encourage each of you to reach out to the Pakistani Americans 
and to their affiliated organizations within your districts. I 
encourage you to really listen to what they have to say. You will be 
amazed by what they will tell you. Let us seize the moment by 
delivering President Obama's promise of hope to the people of the great 
nation of Pakistan.

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