Pakistan needs $600m to bridge flood recovery shortfall

Money needed for food security, housing, water and sanitation projects.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan urgently needs $600 million “to improve education, health, livelihoods, governance, and infrastructure”, officials of the country disaster management agency and United Nations representatives said on Wednesday.

Announcing a strategic early recovery plan, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt Gen (retd) Nadeem Ahmed said that Pakistan was facing a shortfall of $600 million to help millions of families rebuild nine months after the country was ravaged by its worst-ever natural disaster last year and holdover funds from the relief phase “must be rerouted to early recovery sectors”. Ahmed said that if the shortfall is not met on time, essential sectors would suffer.

According to UN estimates, more than $600 million “is still to come from donors, with more than $176.5 million needed for agriculture and food security, more than $174.5 million for housing, and more than $106.6 million for water and sanitation projects”.

Pakistan, Ahmed said, had so far received $1.2-1.3 billion of the initial appeal of $1.9 billion. “It is critical that the international community supports this effort both technically and financially,” UN humanitarian coordinator Timo Pakkala said.

“The transition from relief to long-term recovery is a major challenge for any post-crisis country. This plan is a collaborative effort of the government and the humanitarian community to bridge this gap. It is critical that international community supports this effort both technically and financially,” said Pakkala.

The relief phase in most of the flood-affected areas will end on April 15 in five districts of Sindh and Balochistan and early recovery will commence in 29 worst-hit districts.

The early recovery plan covers eight key sectors and four thematic working groups, including food and agriculture, health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, housing, governance, non-farm livelihoods, and community infrastructure. the 4 thematic groups will ensure that environment, protection, disaster risk reduction and gender considerations. (Additional input from AFP)

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th,  2011.