Washington, US, October 3 :
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), has accused the World Bank of mishandling $400 million in loans and aid that Pakistan received for flood relief efforts, and the United States has acknowledged his assertions.
Ary News reports that Bilawal leveled accusations against the Pakistani government, claiming that they diverted funding meant for flood victims to unrelated initiatives.
After years of failing to build even one dwelling for flood victims, Bilawal asked that the aid be diverted to its rightful purpose and criticized the administration for its incompetence.
When asked about the accusations, US State Department spokeswoman Mathew Miller stressed during a press briefing on October 2 that the US was keeping a careful eye on the issue. The president stated, "We take this matter very seriously, not just in Pakistan but also wherever American taxpayer dollars are used, and where urgent humanitarian interests are at stake" .
According to Miller, there are rigorous procedures in place to track and assess how the United States government spends its foreign aid dollars. This is true for both the State Department and USAID. Transparency and accountability are ensured by doing this.
With the addition of "we halt assistance when we observe any misdirection or misuse of funds," he seemed to be raising worries about the possible abuse of Pakistan's flood relief efforts.
The climate problem in Pakistan has been getting worse over the past few years. Among these severe weather occurrences are heatwaves, cyclones, floods, and the melting of glaciers, which led to the devastating floods of 2022. According to the Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is one of the ten nations most at risk from global warming.
The claims made by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the quick recognition of the problem by the US have brought further attention to the way the Pakistani government has handled foreign assistance, particularly humanitarian help, according to Ary News.
The Asian Development Bank predicts that Pakistan would feel the effects of climate change in several ways, including reduced agricultural output, diminished water supplies, and more frequent and severe weather events. Economic crises have resulted from these dangers, endangering the lives and livelihoods of Pakistani citizens.
The situation is exacerbated for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif due to the mismanagement of funds accusations, which have created a trust deficit and will make it harder for Pakistan to receive aid, grants, and loans from international organizations and countries. This comes at a time when Pakistan is experiencing severe economic stress.
