Towards normalcy: People of Bara get cash cards for rehabilitation

Initiative taken for displaced people who have returned

PESHAWAR: Cash cards were distributed on Tuesday among the displaced people who have returned to Bara in Khyber Agency.

The cash-for-work initiative in Bara was directly supporting the rehabilitation strategy for the tribal areas and repatriation of the tribespeople to their hometowns, said a United Nations representative, James Switzer, at the cards distribution ceremony of FATA Recovery Programme held at a local hotel in Peshawar.

Empowering

Under the initiative, the tribespeople will get Rs6,000 every month through the cash card. The money will be given to them so they could carry out rehabilitation on their own — to resume their routine life — for instance, reconstruct the irrigation channels so that they can earn a living. They will also be able to rebuild their roads and cope with impending disasters. The efforts are also aimed at reviving disrupted livelihoods and increasing resilience of the affected population.



Also present on the occasion, FATA Additional Chief Secretary Fida Wazir said all the displaced people will be sent back to their areas by the end of 2016. However, he added, rehabilitation for the displaced families is not an easy task. “It is difficult and will take time for things to come back to normal.”

He maintained South Waziristan Agency was the most affected region and authorities would leave no stone unturned to help the people.

The programme was jointly orgainsed by the World Food Programme, UN agencies and the FATA Secretariat.

Bara Assistant Political Agent Meer Raza Asghar and representatives of UN agencies were also present on the occasion. Asghar said development work was under way in Khyber Agency.

Since February 2016, the initiative for ration carried out by WFP has significantly contributed to the uplift of people returning to Bara.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2016.