International donors have so far pledged $127.44 million to provide food, shelter, medicine and other facilities to Sindh flood victims, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Dr Zafar Iqbal Qadir said on Thursday. Qadir said $14 million, out of the total pledged amount, had already been given by various countries to the NDMA to provide basic amenities to the marooned people.
So far, 280,136 tents and 1.738 million food packs had been provided to the flood-hit people of Sindh, he said. He said further that people were also being provided with monetary help through Pakistan Cards in collaboration with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). Qadir said that various surveys were being conducted in flood-hit areas in collaboration with the provincial government to assess needs of the victims and to enable them to stand on their own feet after the floods.
He said the committee had been mandated to assess the expenditures on rehabilitation of infrastructure, devastated during the floods, adding that services of United Nation experts were also being taken to accurately assess and ensure complete rehabilitation of flood victims, once the water receded. He said the NDMA would focus on constructing schools, hospitals and government buildings, adding that clean drinking water would also be ensured at the earliest.
Responding to a question, he said the PM’s Committee on Flood Relief headed by Senator Nayyer Bukhari would undertake a visit of Sindh’s flood-hit areas from Friday to obviate complaints of the victims and to ensure across the board distribution of relief items. A fully equipped and well trained Disaster Risk Management Force would be established in each district of the country, which would look to minimise the losses of future calamities, he said.
Qadir said around 30 volunteers would also be hired in each district of the country, adding that they would be imparted latest training in collaboration with the civil defense and other related departments. During emergencies, job of the volunteers would be to evacuate people, perform fire fighting and also distribute relief items in an organised way, he said.
