1.8m flood affected families unlikely to get 2nd instalment of Watan Cards

KARACHI – Over 1.8 million families that were adversely affected by the floods are unlikely to receive the second instalment of Watan Cards as the Sindh government has no funds due to severe financial constraints, sources informed Pakistan Today.
Following the floods in the country, the federal and provincial governments had announced a number of measures for proper rehabilitation of the displaced people. The Sindh government had also initiated the rehabilitation process of the flood-hit people with the distribution of the first instalment of Watan Cards – Rs 20,000 to the head of each family having a valid Computerised National Identity Card.
With the initial estimates, the province required a total of Rs 190 billion to ensure compensation to the flood-affected people. However, the provincial government arranged Rs 36 billion on its own for the first instalment. The federal and provincial governments were supposed to contribute equally for the provision of Watan Cards. However, the Centre deviated from its pledge and directed the provinces to rehabilitate the flood survivors on their own.
Subsequently, the Sindh government cut its Annual Development Plan 2010-11 by 45 percent to 50 percent with the aim to ensure utilising the funds on the flood-hit areas. Besides, the provincial government also suspended officials’ hefty project allowances for the same purpose. Sindh requires at least Rs 150 billion for the second instalment of Watan Cards, which is a very daunting task for the provincial authorities since arranging funds at this time, when the country’s economy is continuously shrinking, is next to impossible.
The situation could have been better and the flood survivors could have been properly rehabilitated if the United Nations (UN) and major donor countries had provided their pledged amount – $2 billion – to Pakistan for supporting the flood relief and rehabilitation process. The World Bank and major donor countries had committed $1.87 billion for assistance, whereas the UN had raised about $500 million for Pakistan.
However, the UN and other donors have yet to provide the amount. A survey conducted jointly by the WB and the Asian Development Bank estimates that losses worth $9.5 billion were caused by the floods to the shelters, agriculture, livestock and infrastructure. Interestingly, more than 85 percent of the people affected by the floods returned to their hometowns by the first week of December 2010 and are now awaiting financial support from the government and donors to rebuild their dilapidated shelters and to resume their livelihood.