[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved $200 million in financing on Wednesday to boost state capacity in newly amalgamated areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including expenditures for flood recovery and reconstruction.
According to the announcement, the cash is part of a programme agreed upon with the Pakistani government to respond to the country’s disastrous floods last year.
Last year, unprecedented monsoon rains in the south and southwest of Pakistan, followed by glacier melt in the north, caused flooding that affected about 33 million people in the South Asian nation of 220 million, killing over 1,700 people and destroying homes, crops, bridges, highways, and livestock.
According to the World Bank, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment and Institutional Support Project (KPRIISP) is the first phase of a multiphase programmatic strategy aimed at increasing access to resilient and reliable essential services for rural households in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s newly amalgamated regions.
Also Read: Shell Petroleum Company plans to sell its stake in Pakistan.
“KPRIISP aims to address development gaps in rural areas that are among the poorest in the country, directly benefiting around 5.5 million people by extending public service delivery systems, investing in basic infrastructure like water supply and sanitation, and boosting agricultural productivity and livelihood opportunities,” said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan.
“In addition to investments in critical infrastructure, this new project will provide conditional grants to village councils to finance local infrastructure priorities in line with community preferences and women’s priorities,” stated Anna O’Donnell, the project’s Task Team Leader.
“It will also ensure that communities are involved in participatory planning, budgeting, monitoring, and improving social accountability systems, all while focusing on institutional strengthening and capacity building of village councils.”
The World Bank granted $213 million in financing for Balochistan last month, with the goal of strengthening livelihoods and vital services, as well as enhancing risk protection in communities impacted by the 2022 floods.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
