US pledges $15m to help Pakistan fight COVID-19, says envoy

ISLAMABAD: The United States has committed around $15 million to help Pakistan contain the coronavirus pandemic weeks after designating it as a priority country for the COVID-19 assistance.

This was stated by US Ambassador to Pakistan Paul Jones in a video message released on Thursday on US Mission Pakistan’s social media platforms.

Ambassador Paul Jones discussed how the United States is expanding its partnership with Pakistan to alleviate poverty in the country. “I’d like to highlight how together we are protecting those most vulnerable to the economic fallout from coronavirus,” said the ambassador.

He announced a new American contribution of $5 million to support Pakistan’s Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program and a $2.5 million therapeutic food program for children diagnosed with acute malnutrition. He said that since designating Pakistan a priority country for coronavirus assistance, the United States has committed nearly $15 million to Pakistan.

All of these contributions were identified as top priority needs by Pakistani authorities, and they are fully funded by the American people, he said.

He also expressed his appreciation of the many Pakistani expressions of sympathy and support for Americans and said that Americans send with equal sincerity their sympathy and support for Pakistanis who have suffered from coronavirus.

On April 24, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that Pakistan didn’t receive any financial assistance from any country or global organisation despite the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has infected more than 11,500 people and claimed over 240 lives.

He had said that Pakistan’s economy was badly hit by the pandemic and despite severe hardships, no country or global organisation lent even a single dollar, adding that only International Monetary Fund (IMF) gave relief in repayment of loans.

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