UNEP Head Donates Prize Money to Flood Victims

The value of the award, whose previous winners include former Norwegian Prime Minister Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, is 500,000 Swedish Krona or close to USD70,000. Mr. Steiner, who is also a UN Under-Secretary General, began his professional career working in the villages of Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa Province.

He said he had been deeply touched not only by the scale of the disaster but also the extraordinary efforts of local communities and organisations in mobilizing relief efforts while support from the international community was being deployed.

Mr Steiner announced to the audience that he would immediately transfer the funds to the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) - a national NGO which has mobilised a vital flood relief and rehabilitation effort for the affected communities in the Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa Province during the past weeks.

The funds will be deployed with a focus on rehabilitation and reconstruction projects for communities returning to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

SRSP Chief Executive, Mr Masood Ul Mulk has thanked Mr Steiner on behalf of the people of Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa for remembering them in their hour of distress and for advocating their cause to the world.

In his acceptance speech at the award ceremony Mr.Steiner called for a spirit of solidarity and generosity to assist the people of Pakistan at this time of crisis.