Progress report on the developmental work being carried out by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the KPK province and its newly merged districts has been shared by the authorities. The fact sheet issued contains all the relevant details about projects completed and the ones which are currently underway for the development of the region.

Currently, USAID is working with governments at both the provincial and federal levels to introduce basic public institutions in the newly merged districts to increase the footprint of service provision. This will create an environment for economic activity to accelerate and to have a mechanism for the enforcement of contracts.

The projects currently underway are in line with the objectives of Pakistan’s Tribal Decade Strategy for 2020-2030. These projects encapsulate all facets of development, ranging from human development to infrastructure development. For example, with the aid money of USD 130 million Gomal Dam has already been completed. It has the capacity to generate electricity for more than 20,000 homes. The water-saving capacity of the dam has enabled the farmers of Dera Ismael Khan and Tank districts to increase their cultivated area to more than 191,000 acres. This has allowed them to create employment and economic opportunities for more than 30,000 households.

USAID has also been instrumental in building road networks in the region. It has successfully completed four major trade routes in the border region. The busiest of these routes has the capacity to cater to 16,000 vehicles per day. Children and teachers have also been trained to develop the habit of reading and writing. More than 60,000 children have been helped and more than 14,000 teachers have been trained. Also, 600,000 books have been distributed in the region for the said purpose.

To further help the students to get education, the agency has been providing scholarships to more than 8,500 students to attend universities in the fields of agriculture and business management. The purpose of such competitive grants is to enable the financially challenged students to complete their education and work for the social uplift of their families and their region.

Academic infrastructure that got destroyed in the war on terror has been replaced with new structures with more than 229 new schools built and more than 1000 schools rehabilitated. These actions of USAID will help more than one million students.

According to the factsheet, USAID has rehabilitated more than 200 facilities, 120 kilometers of the municipal drainage system, and 180 drinking water wells in Peshawar, which resulted in providing access to basic drinking water, sanitation, and solid waste management services to more than 2,000,000 people.

The aid agency also provided equipment to 48 health units, donated medical equipment to six teaching hospitals, and supported the completion of a 120-bed Burns and Plastic Surgery Center in Peshawar.

Besides, it also supported more than 130,000 women in remote areas to register and receive their national identity cards, which will include them in voters lists and give them social security benefits from various government-supported programs. Around 3000 of the women were provided with training to raise and sell poultry products. They were also provided with poultry packages to get them started.

USAID contributed to the improvement of agriculture production of more than 220,000 hectares through improved irrigation networks, expanded horticulture value chains, and increased farmers’ access to markets.

Since 2008, the U.S. government has supported more than 2.2 million temporarily displaced persons by providing more than USD 338 million in humanitarian assistance in areas including agriculture, health and hygiene, food and water, security, shelter, and sanitation. USAID also helped 1.9 million displaced people rebuild destroyed homes and resume their livelihoods, the factsheet read.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk