Sindh, USAID to launch ‘Green partnership’

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and USAID Pakistan Mission Director, Reed Aeschliman after thorough discussions and deliberations agreed to launch a `Green Cooperation' programme for flood-affected growers and work together for the reconstruction of damaged houses, school buildings and strengthening healthcare in the flood-hit areas.

The meeting was held here at CM House, which was also attended by Chief Secretary, Sohail Rajput, Chairman P&D, Hassan Naqvi, Secretary to CM, Raheem Shaikh, and CEO Peoples Housing Project, Khalid Shaikh.

The USAID country chief was accompanied by Acting Deputy Mission Director, Xerses Sidhwa and Acting Consul General, Liam O'Flanagan.

The chief minister informed the USAID Pakistan director that devastating floods and rains killed 800 persons, injured 8,422, damaged 2,044,844 houses, perished 436,435 livestock, washed away crops standing over 3,777,272 acres, damaged 19,808 school buildings, and 1,045 health facilities and caused Rs95 billion losses and damages to the irrigation system.

Shah said that the total financing needs for Sindh are Rs1,688 billion ($7.860 billion) which is 48.30 per cent of the total needs estimated.

He added, if cross-provincial estimates were truncated (only province-specific needs are considered), then Sindh's needs were 67.60 per cent of the total province-specific need estimates.

The CM said that financing pledged by donors to date was about Rs379.56 billion which showed a financing gap of at least Rs1,308.44 billion.

He added that the significant gap could not be met by the local resources in 'stressed' economic conditions.

The USAID/Pakistan Mission Director said that his organisation was ready to help growers by providing them support for the purchase of seeds, pesticides, and urea so that they could start their cultivation.

He also said that the water courses could also be repaired.

The P&D dept and the USAID team would finalise the programme and it has been named `Green Cooperation'.

About the housing sector Shah said that the World Bank is providing $500 million and his government has allocated Rs50 million and a similar amount is being given by the federal government.

He added that the total cost to reconstruct the damaged houses would come to around Rs570.167 billion.

The USAID Pakistan chief told the chief minister that his team would sit together with the P&D and housing project CEO to work out a plan to contribute to the reconstruction of the damaged houses.

About education sector the CM said that as per an estimate, Rs97.84 billion is required to repair and reconstruct 19,808 schools.

He added that the provincial government would not be able to bear such a huge expense.

Reed Aeschliman told the chief minister that USAID would support the Sindh government in the reconstruction of the schools. He added that the USAID and the Sindh government have a partnership in the health and education sectors.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2022.