Zubair Qureshi Islamabad
The government of Japan has provided US$ 4.196 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), for its humanitarian services in the flood affected areas and to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure in refugee settlements and host communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces.
An event was held here today to acknowledge and thank the Government and people of Japan for their usual and generous support for the children in Pakistan.
Chairman National Disaster Management Authority, Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, Ambassador of Japan Wada Mitsuhiro, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil, and senior officials of the Government of Pakistan were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman NDMA, General Inam Haider Malik expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador for the aid and reaffirmed that the government was committed in maximizing support to its flood affected people with continued involvement of international community.
“Japan has always been a lead in such assistance role for Pakistan and it is gratefully acknowledged at people-to-People tiers. UNICEF Pakistan is also at the forefront of such initiatives and has enabled swift delivery of key relief aid articles to people in distress.”
“National Disaster Management Authority, the national Coordinating authority for all emergencies mitigation and Control, engages all stakeholders and donor agencies, to help investment in capacity building and developing sound robust national preparedness regime. We endorse the high value of UNICEF donations and Thank Government of Japan for helping minimize the impact of the damage in flood affected areas of Pakistan,” he added.
Using Japanese funds and working in coordination with the National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities and other relevant departments, UNICEF is working to ensure that host and refugee communities in the two provinces have access to improved WASH services.
Ambassador Mitsuhiro Wada said Japan in partnership with UNICEF, had successfully supported Afghan refugees and their host communities in KP and Balochistan provinces in WASH and nutrition, ensuring the most vulnerable have access to safe water, hygiene facilities, and nutrition supplements. Now as an immediate response to the widespread flooding, Japan stands ready to provide emergency support to the affected by providing clean water and hygiene items.
Funds provided by Japan to UNICEF for its humanitarian services in the flood-affected areas are being used to provide safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, raising awareness about personal and communal hygiene, provision of hygiene kits, and scanning nutritional status of children and women
Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan said “It is the most vulnerable children and families who are bearing the brunt of the devastating floods and they need support to survive.
