Ministry of Economic Affairs directed to immediately approach UN agencies, int’l development partners for immediate assistance
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has approached development partners for immediate assistance and funding for relief, rehabilitation and restoration of infrastructure in view of the large-scale losses caused by flash floods and heavy rains in all the provinces of the country.
A high level meeting of Federal Secretary for Economic Affairs Mian Asad Hayaud Din with development partners and national and provincial disaster management authorities held on Monday for mobilising assistance for relief, rehabilitation and restoration of damaged infrastructure caused by flash floods and heavy rainfall.
On the directions of Prime Minister of Pakistan given on 30th July, 2022, the Ministry of Economic Affairs was directed to immediately approach the UN agencies and international development partners for immediate assistance and funding for relief, rehabilitation and restoration of infrastructure in view of the large-scale losses caused by flash floods and heavy rains in all the provinces. On Prime Minister’s directions, the Federal Secretary for Economic Affairs Division, further directed additional and joint secretaries of the ministry to approach all the development partners (multilateral and bilateral), including the UN agencies, to seek both financial and humanitarian assistance for relief, rehabilitation and restoration of damaged infrastructure.
The meeting was organised for respective heads and representatives of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), and the six (06) Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) to engage with foreign development partners to present their needs-assessment reports and to formalise an action plan of assistance. During the meeting, a detailed presentation was given by a representative of NDMA on the damages caused by flash floods across the country including details of infrastructure, crops, life-loss along with the present status of resources and immediate relief programmes that is being implemented in each province. Furthermore, all the PDMAs were asked to present their specific requirements for both immediate relief phase and rehabilitation and restoration of damaged infrastructure caused by flash floods.
The foreign development partners stated that they stand firmly with Pakistan in this disastrous situation and are ready to provide whatever assistance is required to all the provinces. The secretary thanked and assured the development partners to fill the gaps through ministry’s intervention. The secretary, EAD further stressed the need to officially declare emergency in the affected districts of the provinces and directed the NDMA to submit the need assessment reports of both national and provincial disaster management authorities to the foreign development partners so that they formalise and implement an action plan for the assistance. The meeting was attended by NDMA, PDMAs, NDRMF, Irrigation Department, Government of Punjab, and development partners including USAID Pakistan, UN-OCHA, IOM, Embassy of Denmark, Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations (UN), World Bank (WB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Embassy of China, TIKA, KFW, Embassy of Japan, Humanitarian Office EU delegation, and Embassy of Germany. Representatives from Ministry of Economic Affairs including Federal Secretary for Economic Affairs, additional secretaries, joint secretaries and senior officers of the ministry also attended the meeting.
