Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance, Taimur Saleem Jhagra has told the media that the Provincial government has decided to divert Annual Development Program (ADP) funds for relief and rehabilitation works in flood-affected areas
. According to details, the KP government has approached the World Bank and other Financial Institutions for the provision of aid to support the flood victims in the province. The KP government has also urged the Federal Government to provide outstanding dues under the head of net hydel profit. Jhagra claimed that the response of the KP government in respect of rehabilitation and reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure would be more prudent and effective than in other provinces.
Pakistan is under the recurrent assault of torrential rains and flash floods over the past one and a half months, Sindh, Balochistan, Southern Punjab, and the majority of districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had suffered heavy losses in the current monsoon season. According to government statistics, more than 900 people including 300 children had lost their lives and over 1300 were injured so far due to urban flooding and torrential rains in several parts of the country.
As said, over 33 million people had been badly affected and displaced due to flash floods and torrential rain. According to the initial assessment, the losses caused by the floods were more than those Pakistan suffered during the flash floods of 2010-2011.
The Federal government has officially declared 66 districts as calamity-hit zones which include 23 Districts from Sindh, 31 in Balochistan, 9 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 3 districts from Punjab. According to reports, the recent spells of rainfall had caused havoc in hilly areas of KP, and several districts including Swat, Dir, Chitral, Kohistan, Khyber, and Peshawar had suffered heavy human and material losses and massive displacement.
The KP government has prudently diverted the development funds of flood-hit regions for relief, and rehabilitation purposes, however, the calamity is of so high magnitude it merits an immediate halt of all non-essential spending of the government, and allocation of ADP funds of the entire province for mitigation of the current challenge. The other provinces should also take similar measures to reduce their dependence on foreign assistance/grants to mitigate the disastrous effects of floods in the areas.
The government of Pakistan is undertaking several initiatives to sensitize and mobilize the international community and friendly nations in the relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts of flood affectees in the country. Recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting of Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the selected friendly Counties and briefed them on the current situation and gravity of the disasters. While Pakistan is also scheduled to launch an appeal at the United Nations simultaneously in Geneva and Islamabad on 30 August to urge the world and global donors to assist the flood-hit nation during this hour of need.
In fact, the scope and effects of the calamity were so grave that it will take months for the government to provide the necessities of life to the masses during their stay at flood relief camps, for repair and reconstruction of the flood-hit households for subsequent resettlement of the displaced masses, reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and recovery of the flood-hit economy. This is a gigantic task that demands the generation of funds from home and abroad along with judicial use of available resources to fulfill the long-term requirements of the country.
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