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UN launch 120 million dollar flood victim scheme
ISLAMABAD : Pakistan and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Friday launched a 120 million dollar programme to help people rebuild their lives following the country’s recent devastating floods.“The one-year programme, which is part of a broader UN emergency response plan, aims at restoring livelihoods through job creation, repairing basic community infrastructure,” the UN agency said in a statement.
Torrential rain began falling in northwestern Pakistan in July and the floods have since moved slowly south, wiping out villages and farmland and affecting an area roughly the size of England.
The United Nations has issued a record two-billion-dollar appeal for funds to cope with the disaster, which UN agencies say affected 21 million people and left 12 million in need of emergency food aid.
“There is not a moment to lose. It is critical that winter crops are planted so that millions of farmers do not become dependent on food,” said the statement, quoting UNDP country director Toshihiro Tanaka.
“Jobs need to be created through cash-for-work schemes so that affected communities start to become self-reliant,” it said, adding: “early recovery is crucial for the country’s long-term development.
The programme aims to revive livelihoods across 39 of the most affected districts by offering grants to 2,500 small and home-based businesses.
People affected by floods will also be provided agricultural goods, including seeds and fertilizers, and creating temporary work to repair roads, water facilities and protection walls. afp
Courtesy www.aaj.tv