ISLAMABAD – The European Union (EU) has contributed 15 million euros (around US$ 21.2 million) to support the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) work of early recovery in Pakistan’s flood devastated areas.
The EU contribution aims at restoring livelihoods through job creation, repairing basic community infrastructure and strengthening the local government offices through the UNDP’s ‘Early Recovery Programme’ for restoring public services again, said a press release issued on Tuesday.
The EU contributed the money in response to an appeal made by the Pakistan’s government and the UNDP for a US$ 120 million regarding early recovery programme, said the press release. Around 1,500 local government offices were damaged by the floods. Hundreds of thousands of people lost essential legal records such as birth, death and marriage certificates, records of property and land titles, educational certificates and other documents essential in reclaiming the property, accessing basic services and getting compensation.
“Contributions such as that of the European Union are crucial to accelerating the pace of recovery in Pakistan”, said Toshihiro Tanaka, the UNDP Country Director. “It will allow us to strengthen and restore public services and local government functions in the worst affected areas,” the country director said.
“We hope our support will help local governments in the worst affected communities to fully resume their public services”, the press statement quoted Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, Head of EU Delegation as saying.
