The United States on Thursday announced a contribution of $5 million to the Pakistani government’s Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme, which is meant to provide relief to poor people hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic across the country.

The US financial assistance will help the government to provide food ration to another 70,000 poor families in Pakistan. US Ambassador to Pakistan Paul W. Jones said in a video message on Thursday that the United States of America was protecting financially weak segments of the society from economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The ambassador said the United States would also provide 336 tons of fortified packaged food for the Pakistani children suffering from malnutrition. He said the United States would provide medical equipment to 50 health institutions in Pakistan for treatment of children suffering from malnutrition. He said this medical equipment would be provided to health institutions in Pakistan in coordination with the Pakistani government and Unicef.

https://twitter.com/usembislamabad/status/1258418848312811520

Ambassador Paul Jones said the United States has so far pledged $15 million to Pakistan to deal with coronavirus. He said that Pakistani authorities had sought this financial help on a priority basis. He said that American citizens stand by Pakistanis wholeheartedly in these times of pandemic.

Paul said that US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had agreed during a telephone call to continue coordinated efforts in the fight against coronavirus. He said the United States appreciates Pakistani people’s show of solidarity with the American people in these times of crisis. He said that Pakistan and the United States would defeat the virus together.