Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered that damage assessments in the areas affected by floods are completed in an emerging manner.
He was presiding over a review meeting through a New York video link on the recent flood situation and continuous relief and rehabilitation efforts immediately after his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized that crops and infrastructure damage estimates should be completed as soon as possible to allow effective relief and rehabilitation planning.
The prime minister directed the acceleration of relief and rehabilitation operations for people affected by floods. He said we will not rest until people in areas affected by floods are completely rehabilitated. He instructed the Minister for the Planning of Ahsan IQBAL to closely monitor the aid and rehabilitation operations and to celebrate regular review meetings.
Prime Minister Shehbaz ordered the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to provide full cooperation to the provinces and provincial authorities of Disaster Management (PDMA).
He directed the National Road Authority to accelerate the restoration work in the portion affected by the floods of M-5 near the Sutlej River. The rape on the highway in Jalalpur Pirwala must be repaired immediately.
The prime minister instructed to take all the necessary measures to prevent diseases transmitted by water. He said that special measures must be taken to cultivate adequate crops in flood affected areas.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that he raised the voice of the Pakistani affected by the adverse impacts of climate change in the UN General Assembly (UNGA). He said that a developing country such as Pakistan is continually affected by natural disasters caused by climate change.
Read: The danger of flooding goes in Pakistan, rehabilitation begins
The meeting was informed that around 350,000 affected people have returned home from relief camps and tents settlements. People in Sindh still reside in some camps, but the waters of the floods go back quickly and are expected to return home soon.
The meeting was also reported that the distribution of food and helps affected people continues.
The meeting was informed that the Punjab government is taking exemplary measures for the rehabilitation of the victims. Suggestions on crop damage and farmers’ rehabilitation were also presented. The prime minister ordered that a complete report on the evaluation of damages within a week be prepared and presented.
The Minister of Provincial Information and Culture, Uzma Zahid Bukhari, said recently that the new help package includes direct compensation for farmers, homes and cattle owners. The affected farmers will receive RS20,000 per ACRE, while the families whose houses were destroyed will receive RS1 million for complete loss and RS500,000 for partial damage. RS500,000 compensation has also been assigned by cattle losses.
According to official figures, floods have impacted more than 4.7 million people, including 2.6 million directly and losses of more than 2.1 million cattle. Around 27 districts and 4,794 villages along the river belts have been affected, with more than 2,213 rescue and relief equipment deployed in the field.
