Karachi, February 08, 2023 (PPI-OT):Pakistan People’s Party Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the rehabilitation work in the flood affected areas will be completed in the next three years, along with providing financial support to the victims in the construction of houses. Land ownership rights will also be given. He has also urged all international organizations, including the IMF, to protect the victims of the historic floods caused by climate change.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the release of funds for the reconstruction of the houses of the flood victims, the PPP Chairman said that the flood of 2022 was like the doomsday before the doomsday, such a flood has never happened here in the known history. Talking about flood disasters, he said that one out of every seven citizens were affected by flood disasters.
Crops standing on five million acres of land were swept away in the flood. The backbone of the country’s economy is agriculture, which has been affected by recent natural disasters Affected badly. Farmers and cultivators of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have lost their livelihood.
Appreciating the efforts of the Secretary General of the United Nations during the difficult flood situation in Pakistan, the Foreign Minister said that Antonio Guterres cooperated with Pakistan by keeping the engagement of the General Assembly high and due to his efforts, rescue and relief was done. A successful donor conference was held in Geneva from the stage.
He added that by meeting the Secretary of the United Nations, we got the support of the international community and achieved something that was otherwise impossible. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that it was said that we should not have high hopes because of the economic crisis, natural disasters and the war in Ukraine all over the world.
He said that it is a great success of the coalition government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations that despite all the challenges, the international community has met the expectations. More has supported Pakistan.
But this does not mean that our problems are over, he said. We have asked the international community for half of the funds required for reconstruction, the government will provide the remaining half. Expressing his satisfaction, he said that today, one month after the Geneva Conference, we have started the work of rebuilding people’s houses.
Referring to the devastation of the historic flood last year, the PPP Chairman said that more than three crore people were affected by the flood, crops were destroyed on five lakh acres, while 1. 5 billion dollars is required. Government of Sindh will also provide 250 million funds in this regard.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that we want the flood victims to be given land ownership rights along with help in building houses. In this way the victims will become the owner of an asset overnight and I suggest to the Chief Minister that the ownership rights of the land should be given to the lady of the house.
He said that this is a revolutionary initiative by the government of Sindh. He emphasized that ownership rights should be given to the poor citizens in Sindh province as well as in the entire country to build houses on such government lands which are of no use to the government. He further said that the houses which were demolished in the name of encroachment, we will build these broken houses.
The foreign minister said that there is a crisis in agriculture, economy, education and health sectors due to floods. He said that more than 47 percent of schools in Sindh have been affected by floods, many of them Educational institutions have been completely or partially destroyed.
He said that health problems are also arising in the areas where water has accumulated for the past several months. He added that not only is there a food security and agriculture crisis, I am also deeply concerned about the hunger, poverty and unemployment of the victims.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that there is a political and economic crisis going on in the country, talks are going on between the finance minister of the country and the IMF and it is hoped that the talks with the IMF will be positive.
He stressed that it is the responsibility of the federal government and international organizations including the IMF to provide protection to the flood victims so that they can get out of this crisis.
He said that the ground facts of the flood-affected areas are in front that during the time of the Corona virus, when there was an IMF program, the provincial and federal governments were exempted from expenditure in health sectors.
He said we hope that with the IMF in the current negotiations, relief and reconstruction costs will also be exempted from the conditions. He emphasized that targeted subsidy should be given in the areas where floods have caused havoc. He said that we want targeted relief for flood-affected areas, this relief should be for agriculture, energy and fertilisers, it will be possible when the conditions of the IMF are relaxed, examination and solution of the problems faced and we have plans.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, representatives of donor organizations and others were also present on this occasion. Exam and problem solving and plans are with us. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, representatives of donor organizations and others were also present on this occasion. Exam and problem solving and plans are with us. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, representatives of donor organizations and others were also present on this occasion.
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