THOUSANDS TO BENEFIT FROM $6.97M AID PROGRAM IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, WAZIRISTAN
ABU DHABI — In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, the UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme, UAE PAP, has so far implemented more than 70 projects at a cost of more than $6.9 million to bring clean drinking water to people across Pakistan’s provinces.
UAE PAP said $6,973,000 were spent on 76 water projects which include digging wells, building water desalination plants, tanks and pumps and building water supply systems for tens of thousands of households in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Waziristan where locals had to travel away from their houses to get clean water.
These include 44 projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20 in South Waziristan, in the first phase, and 12 others in Mohmand Agency and two in North Waziristan in the second phase of the UAE PAP’s water assistance plan for Pakistan.
The UAE PAP was launched in line with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Khalifa on Jan. 12 2011 to help Pakistan overcome the consequences of the 2010 destructive torrential rains and floods through infrastructure rehabilitation, humanitarian aid and reconstruction in the affected areas.
UAE PAP developed a plan to achieve its goals and overcome rugged geography and harsh weather conditions in the targeted areas. The plan has four main pivots for infrastructure and community development: roads and bridges, education, health and safe water supply. It also provides for additional efforts to provide humanitarian assistance for the unprivileged, poor and homeless.
The UAE PAP showcases the success of UAE’s humanitarian and development efforts to assist the people of Pakistan.
With water pollution and shortages, in remote areas in particular, causing serious public health problems for the population, UAE PAP cites malaria and hepatitis as two major public health concerns that it addresses through safe water projects in the Pakistani targeted provinces.
UAE was among the founders of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) which was launched in 2008 to extend support to Pakistan’s social and economic development. Other founding member states include Britain, France, Germany, the United States, China, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Turkey, Australia and Italy plus the United Nations and the European Union.
On Aug. 16 2010, the UN estimated that up to 3.5 million children are at high risk from deadly water-borne diseases in Pakistan as a result of the country’s devastating floods.
Maurizio Giuliano, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, said, “up to 3.5 million Pakistani children are at high risk of deadly waterborne diseases, such as watery diarrhoea and dysentery. Water during the flood has been contaminated badly. There is a shortage of clean water.”
“What concerns us the most is water and health. Clean water is essential to prevent deadly water-borne diseases. Water during the flood has been contaminated badly.”–WAM
