Flood victims in miserable conditions, CM tells UNDP
KARACHI: The flood-affected people are still living in miserable conditions and more assistance is needed to rehabilitate them, according to the Sindh chief minister.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah said this at a meeting with a visiting delegation of the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) on Saturday.
The meeting discussed the situation after last year’s heavy floods, which damaged several districts and affected more than seven million people in Sindh. The participants agreed to a proposal to call a donors’ conference to be jointly organised by the Sindh government and the UNDP.
Sindh Minister for Rehabilitation Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujra, Adviser to the CM for Planning and Development Dr Kaiser Bengali and Chief Secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha briefed the meeting about the work carried out in this regard.
The meeting was informed that almost half of the total affected people were residing in camps and the situation was very crucial.
The chief minister appreciated the role of the United Nations and specifically the efforts of the secretary general, who called upon the world nations to come forward and help the affected people of Pakistan. He said that 50 percent of the flood victims were in acute need of shelter, food and other relief goods.
Shah said that the recent floods caused a loss of $4.2 billion, while the provincial government took adequate steps for dealing with the situation.
Deputy Country Director UNDP Programmes Jean Luc Stalon, Expert UNDP Thomas Gurtner, Country Representatives British Red Cross John English, CEO British Red Cross Sir Nicholas Young and UNDP representative Dr Hafiz Pasha informed the meeting that the UNDP generated financial assistance worth one billion dollars, out of which $300 million were provided for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction works.
They informed the meeting that the UNDP would provide panels, water heaters and
pumps propelled by solar energy to 105 most affected communities in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.
