Skip to main content
France - EU - Pakistan

Sarkozy angers European Commission in Pakistan aid spat

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has hit back at France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy in a row over the EU’s response to the Pakistani floods.Barroso on Tuesday wrote to Sarkozy defending the commission after the French president called for Europe to do more to help disaster-hit Pakistan.

Reuters
Advertising

A European Union official on Wednesday announced that the bloc's aid to Pakistan has been raised to 70 million euros.

On Sunday Sarkozy wrote to Barroso saying that the 40 million euros made available for flood relief was not enough.

“I am counting on you to ensure that the EU shows unity and determination,” he said, adding that France will soon propose that the EU set up a rapid reaction fund, "based on member states’ resources”.

“I wish to stress that the commission was the first to respond (on 30 July) and to raise (on 11 August) the amount of money assigned to Pakistan,” Barroso replied Tuesday.

He insisted that his office has made exhaustive efforts to ensure that the cash be used as soon as possible. And, he said, he has already drawn up an “action plan" to ensure that aid is paid rapidly and consistently.

EU humanitarian commissioner Kristalina Georgieva had already been charged with drawing up a new crisis-response policy before Sunday’s letter, Barrroso reminded Sarkozy.

The European Commission has so far only handed over 1,266,000 euros, according to Le Monde newspaper. That makes the EU the tenth-largest contributor, a long way behind the US, the UK and the UN.

France on its own has only paid 711,808 euros so far, with promises of 355,963 to come, the paper reports.

International aid agencies complain that the response to the Pakistani floods has been far below what is necessary and sluggish in comparison the reactions to disasters such as this year’s Haiti earthquake.
 

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app

Share :
Page not found

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.