WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the flooding in Northwest Pakistan, the U.S. Government has rushed food, clean water and rescue supplies to the affected region as part of an initial $10 million pledge for immediate humanitarian aid.

"We stand by the people of Pakistan in their time of need and are working with the Pakistani government to learn what assistance we can best provide," said Dr. Rajiv Shah, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. "To help expedite our aid, I am deploying USAID humanitarian relief experts to work in support of the Government of Pakistan and manage the overall U.S. response effort. These experts will include staff who have worked so successfully with Lt. Gen. (R) Nadeem Ahmed, the Chairman of Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, since the 2005 earthquake."

To help meet the most pressing needs identified by the Government of Pakistan, USAID has airlifted two mobile water treatment units that can provide clean water for up to 10,000 people per day and four Zodiac inflatable boats to help with rescue and relief efforts in the affected area. This donation - which is included in the initial pledge from the U.S. and valued at approximately $237,000, including transport - is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan this evening.

USAID has also made food aid that had already been on the ground in Pakistan available to the U.N. World Food Program and is working to utilize the Emergency Food Security Program for local procurement of commodities and/or the use of food vouchers to provide aid quickly while helping strengthen the local economy.

The United States has also provided a total of 316,584 halal meals from U.S. stocks in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region, which have been delivered to civilian and military officials in Pakistan on 13 supply flights. In addition, 11,873 pounds of provisions to flood victims have been transported. Twelve pre-fabricated steel bridges have been made available as temporary replacements for highway bridges damaged by flooding in Peshawar and Kurram Agency.

The United States stands ready to provide further assistance as additional needs are identified by the Government of Pakistan.

For more information about USAID, visit www.usaid.gov.