المجتمع البريطاني يحرج ساسة العالم بموقفه الإيجابي تجاه ضحايا باكستان

بلغت تبرعات المجتمع البريطاني لصالح ضحايا فيضانات باكستان 29 مليون جنيه إسترليني، طبقًا لما صرحت به لجنة مواجهة الكوارث، التي تتضمن 13 جمعية على مستوى "المملكة المتحدة"، وهو ما اعتبرته "برندان جورملي" - المديرة التنفيذية - موقفًا شعبيًّا محرجًا للقادة السياسيين حول العالم.

وأكدت "جورملي" أنه لأول مرة في تاريخ الجمعية أن تكون التبرعات في الأسبوع الثاني أعلى من معدلاتها في الأسبوع الأول، مقارنةً بموقف المجتمع البريطاني من أزمات "هايتي" و"الفلبين" و"فيتنام" و"تسونامي" وغيرها.

وأكدت أيضًا أن رد فعل المجتمع البريطاني لم تشهد له الجمعية مثيل على مدى 45 عامًا هي عمر نشاط الجمعية، مشيرةً إلى أن الجمعية وشركاءها قد بذلوا المعونات لقرابة 800 ألف ضحية، إلا أن الخسائر الحقيقة سيُكشف عنها عقب جفاف مياه الفيضانات.

الخبر من مصدره الأصلي:

Pakistan floods: British public 'shaming world politicians' with £29m donations

Donations from the British public to help flood victims in Pakistan have reached £29 million, the Disasters Emergency Committee has revealed.

Chief executive Brendan Gormley said it was the first time that donations had risen in the second week of an appeal.

''The UK public are leading the way and shaming politicians across the world,'' he said.

''We want the rest of the international community to back that sustained giving.''

The worst floods to hit Pakistan in decades have left more than 1,500 people dead and an estimated 20 million homeless.

An appeal to help the stricken country was launched two and a half weeks ago by DEC, an umbrella organisation representing 13 leading UK aid agencies.

It is the first time in the DEC's 45-year history that donations rose rather than fell during the second week of an appeal.

Donations to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal dropped by 28 per cent in the second week of the appeal, those to the Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam Appeal fell 62 per cent, Myanmar donations dropped by 54 per cent and for the Tsunami the second week fall was 24 per cent.

Donations to the Pakistan Floods Appeal, which was launched on August 5, increased by 18 per cent in the second week and have not yet started dropping.

Mr Gormley said: "It is sometimes harder to fully appreciate the impact of disasters such as floods that take longer to develop.

"However, the response of the UK public to the floods in Pakistan has been extraordinary. We have never seen anything like it in our 45-year history.

"This is a tragedy unfolding in slow motion with new areas still being flooded and the threat of deadly waterborne disasters stalking millions of survivors.

"The full impact of the disaster will only be revealed when flood waters finally recede and the extent of devastation is uncovered."

The death toll was said to have risen to 1,600 today but Jane Cocking, humanitarian director of Oxfam, said it could rise sharply if there is a significant outbreak of waterborne disease and those affected are unable to get swift medical care.

DEC member agencies and their partners have so far helped more than 800,000 people.