The United Kingdom has announced an additional £1.2 million (Rs45.4 crore) in anticipatory flood response funding for Sindh, bringing its total humanitarian assistance to Pakistan this year to £2.53 million (Rs95.8 crore).

According to a press statement issued by the British High Commission on Thursday, the support aims to protect more than 400,000 people nationwide from the devastating impacts of seasonal flooding.

With severe floods predicted in Sindh, the new package will be channelled through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to bolster local preparedness.

The funding will focus on strengthening early warning systems, facilitating community evacuations, identifying vulnerable households, pre-positioning essential supplies, safeguarding livestock, and preparing evacuation centres.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott CMG, OBE, underscored the urgency of preventive measures.

“Sindh is in a critical window to prepare and reduce the impact of the upcoming floods. For every dollar spent on prevention, up to seven dollars are saved in response. More importantly, lives are saved, and destruction is avoided,” she said.

This latest announcement follows the UK’s £1.33 million (Rs50.36 crore) relief package unveiled on August 22, which supported early response efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

That assistance covered food rations, search and rescue operations, mobile medical camps, rehabilitation of water systems, restoration of irrigation channels, and livelihood support.

In addition, the UK earlier provided £500,000 (Rs18.9 crore) through the Start Ready Disaster Risk Financing system, benefitting 20,000 people across Punjab, Sindh, and KP. The system allows communities to anticipate and mitigate humanitarian impacts before disasters strike.

The new funding highlights the UK’s continued commitment to support Pakistan’s government-led flood response and protect vulnerable communities from worsening climate-related disasters.