Department for International Development will help ‘rebuild lives’
The UK will provide new emergency humanitarian aid and rebuild businesses and agriculture for millions of people affected by the recent conflict in Pakistan, it was announced today.
The Department for International Development will help hundreds of thousands people in the North West Frontier Province, and South Waziristan in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. This investment will bring the total amount provided by the UK for displaced people since 2008 to £34 million.
More than £2 million in new emergency humanitarian aid will be sent to South Waziristan to improve water and health facilities for more than 1.2 million people, including providing mobile teams to give medical care in remote areas and set up maternal health care services for severely ill newborn children and mothers.
In addition, £10 million recently announced by the Prime Minister will be allocated to help rebuild infrastructure, stimulate the economy and improve local agriculture for displaced people returning home following the recent conflict.
This will include innovative cash for work schemes to rebuild vital infrastructure, provide farmers with improved livestock breeds and delivering teaching kits to help restart children’s education.
International Development Minister Mike Foster said: “The people of Pakistan have suffered severely during the recent fighting. Millions of people have lost their homes and jobs and children are missing out on schooling.
“As well as rebuilding vital public services, the UK Government will help the people of Pakistan rebuild their lives after the first stage of recovery from the conflict.”
DFID’s funding will help to rebuild vital infrastructure, roads and other facilities destroyed in recent fighting. Children will be encouraged back into education through school and teacher kits, while for families’ cash and enterprise grants will help them restart livelihoods damaged or destroyed in the recent fighting.
It is estimated more than 2.4 million people have been displaced during the crisis. Approximately half of those displaced have returned to Buner, southern Swat and Lower Dir.
