The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan Neil Buhne has announced a project of “Rebuilding Flood Affected Farmers’ Communities: Inspirational Human Stories” for eradicating poverty in Sindh and rebuilding of flood affectees.
Buhne said through this project, lives of 11,800 women, boys and girls in targeted districts of Mirpur Khas and Dadu will be improved.
He said this while addressing a booklet launch ceremony in Islamabad based on inspiring stories from this project titled ‘Rebuilding Flood Affected Farmers’.
In a press release issued on Saturday, he said the UN is trying to improve the lives of the people by giving them a choice.
Buhne said that the UN project ‘Livelihood Restoration, Protection and Sustainable Empowerment of Vulnerable Peasant Communities in Sindh Province’ was quite beneficial for the people of province.
He said during the floods of 2010-11, more than 10 million people were affected in Sindh which increased poverty in the province.
International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Director Ingrid Christensen said, “This project improved human security of families of beneficiaries.”
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative Patrick Evans highlighted the farming activities during the ceremony. He said the project had a great impact on people, farm productivity and gender equality.
“We also introduced water conservation and more production and through it, farmers are benefiting a lot,” he added.
Sangeeta Rana Thapa, deputy country representative of UN women in Pakistan said, “The project improved the women’s role in household and community level decision making and has improved their access to national identity cards.”
Government of Sindh Planning and Development Secretary Altaf Bijrani, said, “Due to the continued floods of 2010-11 and then drought in some areas of South Sindh, the economy has badly affected.”
He thanked UN for providing some projects for the betterment of livelihood of affected areas of the province. He announced Sindh government full support for the projects in future.
The FAO, ILO and UN women in Dadu and Mirpur Khas districts jointly implemented this three-year project.