European Commission clears $5.5 million aid for drought victims in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran



Business Recorder

ISLAMABAD (August 6) : The European Commission has cleared humanitarian aid for Afghanistan ($ 3.89 million), Pakistan ($ 1.21 million) and Iran ($ 400 000) to assist the most vulnerable people affected by drought.
..........The aid, channelled through the Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), will enable Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to implement humanitarian projects over the next six months in close co-ordination with the World Food Programme (WFP). This brings to $ 80.5 million the amount of aid allocated for the region since 1996.
..........Afghanistan will get $ 3.89 million. The focus is on ongoing food for work activities which involves the participation of local communities in areas such as road improvements and pilot projects for rural development in the southern area of the country. This includes food aid with particular emphasis on women and children, water and sanitation, notably for rural water supply to cover the most urgent needs of the population in the region of Herat and the deepening and sinking of wells in the south east provinces.
..........In the area of health care, assistance is foreseen for displaced people and medical monitoring. Hospital rehabilitation and hygiene awareness programmes in Kandahar and south western provinces are also covered. Other areas are agriculture (distribution of seeds and fertilisers to families and farmers), livestock (fodder distribution) and self-reliance activities, including small scale activities financed by emergency addressing urgent needs.
..........Pakistan will get $1.21 million. The money will finance ongoing emergency support to those most in need. Food aid will target vulnerable people such as women, children and farmers. The water and sanitation programmes will provide a drinking water supply to the population of Thar and Balochistan and finance the repair of irrigation equipment. In the area of health care, there will be assistance to displaced people, monitoring of diseases and epidemiological surveillance.
..........Iran will get $400,000. Support and assistance to the provinces of Sistan-Balochistan and Khorassan to provide public water supplies to villages affected by drought.-NNI