US Army begins relief missions in Swat Valley .Chinook in action

[Arsalan]

Self Deleted

 

[Arsalan]

U.S. military in Afghanistan responds to Pakistan flood

KABUL, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Aug. 4, 2010) -- U.S. military forces in Afghanistan are responding rapidly to the disastrous flooding that has reportedly killed more than 1,200 people in Pakistan, 60 in Afghanistan and affected millions.

U.S. forces have already delivered more than 189,000 packaged halal meals and are preparing to deliver more than 200,000 more meals in the next 24 hours. U.S. military experts in medicine, logistics, aviation, engineering and other fields are on the ground in Pakistan, and more are on the way to assist the Pakistan government.

"U.S. Forces Afghanistan are actively engaged with our Pakistan friends and partners in the coordination and delivery of humanitarian assistance during this critical time," said Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general of International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. "It is vitally important we try to help those who have been tragically affected by the massive flooding. There are some tasks that the U.S. military is uniquely able to perform. We are in the process of performing some of those tasks, and we're deploying additional elements to perform more of them. We will continue to support this humanitarian effort, and we stand by to assist the Pakistani government any way we can."

A group of six CH-47 Chinooks and UH-60 Black Hawks with about 100 U.S. military personnel from the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan are expected to depart today for Ghazi Airbase, which is serving as the main logistics hub in Pakistan for the humanitarian response.

In an effort to provide U.S. and Pakistan commanders with real-time video surveillance over disaster-stricken areas, the U.S. military is also supplying intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.

The aircraft and personnel from Afghanistan will serve as an early response support element to Pakistan-relief efforts as U.S. Central Command prepares to deploy more personnel, aviation assets and equipment from outside Afghanistan, officials said.

Other U.S.-related efforts include:

- U.S. helicopters working under Squadron 50 of the Afghan Ministry of Interior since July 30 have rescued a total of 733 people and transported 11,873 pounds of provisions to flood victims.

- Four Zodiac inflatable rescue boats with power motors and two water filtration units in the affected area.

- 12 pre-fabricated steel bridges have been made available as temporary replacements for highway bridges damaged by flooding in Peshawar and Kurram.

The flooding which began June 29, resulting from a monsoon rainfall, has washed away more than 100 bridges and significant stretches of road, and is reported to have isolated more than 600,000 people between upper Swat and Kalam in northern Pakistan.

 

[Arsalan]

self deleted

 

[Arsalan]

 

[Arsalan]

regards!

---------- Post added at 06:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:50 AM ----------

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

US raises Pakistan aid to $55 million

By Anwar Iqbal
Wednesday, 11 Aug, 2010
WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday announced an additional $20 million for flood victims in Pakistan, bringing its contribution to date to $55 million.

“We … look at every one of the requests that come in through official channels to make sure that we are doing all we can to help alleviate some of the terrible human tragedy that is happening over there,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said. - Photo by AP.

“This disaster is so vast … and as we get better insight into the scope, our contribution maywell grow as well,” said US Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Daniel Feldman while announcing the new package.

“We obviously are closely monitoring what is an unfolding and ongoing disaster in Pakistan,” said P.J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

Mr Feldman said that since weather in Pakistan on Tuesday was good, US helicopters were able to fly and move about 100,000 pounds worth of humanitarian commodities and transported more than 700 Pakistanis stranded in the remote areas.

“Just as the flood is moving south, we are going to move south,” he added. “We are going to expand those activities with new organisations and existing organisations.”

At the White House, a senior official declared that US-Pakistan relationship was “much bigger” than the war against terrorists and that’s why Washington was eager to help Pakistan cope with the floods.

“We … look at every one of the requests that come in through official channels to make sure that we are doing all we can to help alleviate some of the terrible human tragedy that is happening over there,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said.

When asked whether the militants were using the floods to expand their influence, Mr Burton said: “We certainly hope that they are not using this opportunity to inflict even more pain on the people of Pakistan.”

At the State Department, Mr Feldman encouraged the American public to go to USAID’s website and click on the flood response, providing links to websites for major NGOs working in Pakistan.

“All of them would gladly receive private contributions at this point to add to the effort,” he said.

Mark Ward, acting director, US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, noted that while immediate repercussions of the flood were dramatic, “yet almost more importantly is the fact that this is very much a medium- to longer-term issue, with food security, with the economic infrastructure, and with needs that will be ongoing for many months, if not years”.
If you want to follow news on your mobile, click on http://dawn.com/mobile/ and download Pakistan's first mobile news application.

DAWN.COM | National | US raises Pakistan aid to $55 million

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

I blv for once we as Pakistanis should realize the importance of our relations with US and its role in almost every domain throughout the history. Stop hating US people as it has always come for our help in time of need with great zeal.You can trace US in almost any sphere in Pakistan and in the end if you sum up you will come to know that there are more positives than negatives for having a close relations with US.

Last night i was talking to an old cleric of my neighborhood Mosque, He said these people are dumb who hate US, the way they have helped us , None has ever done.

God Bless US for all the effort its putting in to help the people of Pakistan in this time of utmost need..!!!

 

[NWO]

This is one of the best thing about US. They have always helped people in natural disasters. And the only time they accepted outside help themselves was in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

The sad thing is that this good feelings towards one another won't last.

 

[Arsalan]

First pictures of US Black Hawk participating in Flood Relief Activities

 

[GentlemanObserver]

arsalanaslam123,

Can't see the picture..

 

[Arsalan]

arsalanaslam123,

Can't see the picture..

reposted in changed format.

 

[Arsalan]

People who had been stranded in Kalam, arrive in Khawaza Kheila in northwest Pakistan, on the U. S. Chinook helicopters on Thursday

the US assistance is really helping us saving thousands of lifes..

Pakistani flood victims sit on the floor of a U.S. Army helicopter as part of U.S. and Pakistani efforts to evacuate them from the town of Khyber in Pakistan's Pakhtunkhwa province, Aug. 4, 2010.

Six U.S. Army helicopters - including four CH-47 Chinooks and two UH-60 Black Hawks -- are in Pakistan supporting relief operations, Morrell said. As of today, the aircraft have flown 18 sorties, he said, and evacuated about 800 people from flood-affected areas. They also have transported 66,000 pounds of relief supplies, he added, and, as of yesterday, delivered nearly 440,000 packaged meals that conform with Muslim law.

than you People of USA!

regards!

 

[v9s]

And the only time they accepted outside help themselves was in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Wrong.

The US accepted/seeked outside help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as well, it wasn't publicly announced though.

 

[Durran3]

Religious people just make things SO DAM complicated... BE happy your getting food and ration in one of the worst calamities in Pakistan's history and stop worrying about halal and haram jeez give it a break...

 

[NWO]

Wrong.

The US accepted/seeked outside help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as well, it wasn't publicly announced though.

Thanks for the correction.