CHITRAL -  Natural calamity hit-Chitral and other parts of Malakand Division will be fully supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said Ignacio Artaza, the country director of UNDP.

During his visit to different affected areas of Chitral, he visited different rehabilitation and soft schemes being run with the financial support of UNDP and Norwegian people through their embassy.

The UNDP country director, Assistant Country Director Amanullah Khan, Disaster Risk Management specialist Muhi Usamah, communications officer Shuja Hakim and others were briefed by Shamsuddin and Khalid regarding different ongoing schemes for youth (training) as well as rehabilitation and construction schemes to protect the area.

The donors visited Ochosht, Zargarandeh, Mughulandeh, Balach, Moldeh and other villages where they are constructing protection wall. They also rendered training to men and women on disaster risk management to save the victims, and besieged people in buildings after flood or earthquake. The team expressed their pleasure on the best exercise and practical demonstration by volunteers’ team to rescue strained people and evacuate inside the debris to save their lives. They also visited a village situated near governor cottage where people of the area requested the team for construction of stairs and protection wall towards flood nullah.

To a question, the UNDP country director expressed his pleasure asking this question regarding alternate fuel in Chitral to save the area from de-forestation. He said that UNDP must discuss this issue with local community through the NGOs to solve the issue how to protect forest from cutting because due to non-availability of natural gas in Chitral people use forest wood for cooking and heating purposes.

First secretary at Norwegian Embassy Tom Jorgen said that the Norway people and Govt will continue their financial support to the people of Chitral to enhance their life standard by giving them training on different title as well as in rehabilitation and developmental schemes too. He expressed his great pleasure on the warm welcome of Chitral and their hospitality.

People of Chitral also highly hailed efforts of Hashoo foundation for attracting attention of different donor agencies to support affected people after flood and earthquake as well as rendering trainings to jobless youth of Chitral for gaining their livelihood.