Pakistan

Donors barred from directly helping survivors

NDMA bans donor agencies, aid organisations and and NGOs from directly assisting flood survivors in Balochistan.

Express August 14, 2010

QUETTA: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has formally banned international donor agencies, aid organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from directly assisting flood survivors in Balochistan.

The provincial chief minister was formally informed about the development during a meeting held to review relief efforts on Saturday.

The director-general of the PDMA, however, complained that the ban had slowed the pace of the relief operations. The chief minister told the meeting’s participants that he would discuss the issue with NDMA authorities and the federal government.

The chief minister directed provincial lawmakers to contribute at least Rs10 million for flood relief.

He said that the MPAs concerned should personally monitor projects in the flood-hit areas.

There was a proposal to hold a donors’ conference in Balochistan, seeking international assistance. The meeting decided to hold further discussions on the issue before taking any decision in this regard, an official announcement said.

Earlier, the chief minister allocated Rs10 million each for relief camps in Quetta and Sibi set up for people displaced by floods in Jaffarabad and Sindh.

Flood survivors, he said, would be provided food, clean drinking water, medicines and other necessities during their stay in the camps. The provincial chief secretary briefed the participants about the flood situation in Balochistan.

The meeting was informed that around 1,500 families had arrived in relief camps in Sibi and Quetta. The chief minister called for their immediate registration after completing security formalities.

The secretary for communications and works informed the meeting that the road network had been badly damaged and that the department will need between Rs600 million and Rs700 million for reconstructing the roads.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (3)

Syed Nadir El-Edroos | 14 years ago | Reply @KM: Are you suggesting that RAW-CIA-Mossad-MI6 are funding the nefarious and malicious designs of the TTP? We should not let them succeded! flood victims should give qurbanis to keep the country safe! so what if aid doesnt reach them? after all they havnt suffered at all have they?

KM | 14 years ago | Reply @Nadir ... While this country starves for aid and assistance, it certainly does NOT mean that we sideline monitoring and jeopardize our internal security, by letting the aid get directly into the hands of mischeif mongers, or open a channel which smoothens the funding of the vices. Remember last week, TTP offered $20Million??? Have you ever thought where in the world did they get all those millions of dollars from???

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