‘630,000 Watan Cards distributed among flood survivors’

The Sindh government, through its Rehabilitation Department, has so far issued 630,000 Watan Cards during the first phase of relief services for the flood survivors, Rehabilitation Secretary Peer Baksh Jamali said on Friday,
Speaking during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Raja Mohammad Abbas, he said that 721,000 Watan Cards worth Rs.13.74 billion are being distributed in the first phase. “The money has been equally contributed by the federal and Sindh governments,” he added.
He said that the distribution of these cards was materialised through NADRA, the Board of Revenue (relief commissioner of Sindh) and the respective district governments in the first phase of relief work, which is near completion.
Jamali said the remaining 99,000 cards are also in process of issuance, with 31,000 activated and 57,000 under process.
He said that 11,000 of these remaining 99,000 cards are for people from Thatta and have been duly authenticated.
Fourteen district governments are being covered under flood relief services, out of which eight are on the right bank of the Indus River – Kashmore, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Kambar, Shadadkot, Larkana, Dadu, Thatta and Jamshoro.
The six located on the left bank include Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Nausheroferoze, Hyderabad, Ghotki and Sukkur.
The Italian government has granted 700 million euros while the EU has donated 600 million euros for relief services as well as for the second phase of the relief efforts that would start from August 22.
The US has emerged as the major donor and has provided assistance of $ 189 million.