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On August 20, DPJ International Department Director General Yutaka Banno paid a courtesy call on Pakistan Ambassador Noor Muhammad Jadmani to express condolences for the massive flood damage that had occurred in Pakistan, handing over a letter of condolence from Secretary General Yukio Edano.
Banno said, “We would like to provide as much assistance as possible in order that those who are suffering can overcome this terrible tragedy, return to a stable way of life as soon as possible, and engage in further development.” In response Jadmani expressed deep gratitude to the Japanese government and the DPJ.
The Ambassador went on to say, “We are currently in a phase where we are focusing all our strength on rescue efforts, but more than one third of Pakistan has been affected, and homes and farms have suffered serious damage. It is some consolation that the number of dead is no higher than around 1500, but an unprecedented number of people have been affected by this disaster, and we are concerned about outbreaks of infectious diseases going forward. Medications to prevent infectious diseases are urgently needed. We also need to engage in efforts bearing in mind the mid- to long-term reconstruction phase.”
Banno referred to the fact that the recent ICAPP Conference on Poverty Alleviation (hosted by the Chinese Communist Party), which had also been attended by representatives of Pakistan’s political parties, had discussed the prospect of establishing an inter-party disaster assistance framework, and went on to say, “We have no idea as to when and where natural disasters might occur, and so it is important for us to strengthen the framework of cooperation between nations. It is vital to use the know-how that has been cultivated by each nation effectively, and to proceed with creating an assistance framework through which governments, political parties and NGOs can cooperate with each other.”
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