China aids in rebuilding after floods in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan would benefit from the advice of a visiting Chinese expert group as it recovers from flooding that has left more than 1,700 people dead, the country's National Disaster Management Authority has said.

Speaking at a meeting with the delegation on Friday, Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik, the authority chairman, said Pakistan has a colossal job ahead of it, but that with the help of the Chinese experts and learning from their expertise the country will be able to tackle the problem well in the next phase of reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Eleven experts sent by the Chinese government arrived in Pakistan on Oct 11 and concluded their inspection and exchange activities on Friday.

The group, organized by China's Ministry of Emergency Management, has expertise in six fields: hydrology, meteorology, rescue and relief, disaster assessment, flood control planning, and flood control management.

Xu Xianbiao, head of the delegation, shared China's expertise in flood control and disaster reduction and provided the Pakistani side with preliminary advice and gave suggestions for recent disaster relief and medium- and long-term enhancement of flood control and disaster reduction capabilities.

The delegation visited the country's worst-hit south Sindh province for inspection between Oct 15 and 17.

The delegation met the country's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his cabinet on Wednesday and gave their impressions of the flood aftermath.

During the meeting, Sharif asked China to help his country with disaster management and make it self-reliant in this.

In this season's monsoon rain and floods, 1,719 people have died since the middle of June and 12,867 people have been injured, the disaster management authority said.

Xinhua