BiparJoy; “Sindh relocates 82,000 coastal residents, plans return and aid distribution”
Karachi….. June 16, 2023
Chief Secretary Sindh, Dr. Mohammad Sohail Rajput, met with a four-member delegation led by Julien Harneis, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Affairs at the United Nations. The meeting discussed various issues including response to the Cyclone Biparjoy and rehabilitation of the 2022 flood-affected.
During the meeting, Chief Secretary Sindh, Dr. Mohammad Sohail Rajput, stated that by the grace of Allah Almighty, Sindh was not severely directly affected by the coastal storm. The Cyclone was being monitored since the first day, and the Chief Minister of Sindh immediately visited the coastal areas in view of the approaching the storm, issuing necessary instructions. He further mentioned that as soon as alerts were received about the storm, the government started shifting people of vulnerable coastal areas to safe places to ensure the safety of their lives and property. The Sindh government successfully relocated more than 82,000 individuals from the coastal belt. The government of Sindh is providing food and other facilities to 50,000 people in 81 camps, including 5,000 families in Malir, 17,050 families in Sujawal, 23,000 families in Badin, and 5,000 individuals in a camp in Thatta.
Chief Secretary Sindh also mentioned that after the reduction in the impact of the storm, the affected individuals would be sent back to their homes starting from Monday, and the Sindh government would provide one week’s ration to them. He further added that in the wake of the coastal storm, the Pakistan Army, Police, and Rangers provided significant assistance in the process of relocating people to safe places, and the district administration was fully supported.
During the meeting, the delegation was briefed by Chief Secretary Sindh, Dr. Mohammad Sohail Rajput, about the ongoing construction of houses for the 2 million flood-affected people in Sindh. “For the construction of houses, the first installment of PKR 75,000 has been released to 22,481 families, and the second installment of PKR 100,000 has also been disbursed to 1,900 families”. Said Chief Secretary Sindh. He further added that the implementation partners are actively assisting people in house construction to ensure that the houses are resilient against any possible natural disasters in future. He further added that along with house construction, people are being provided with ownership rights, and data has been compiled for land titles of 2 million individuals, out of which the land titles of 50,000 affected individuals have been completed, and soon they will be given the ownership rights.
The UN delegation appreciated the performance of the Sindh government, acknowledging that due to the prompt action taken by the Sindh government, people were timely relocated to safe places. They also acknowledged the coordination of all departments of the Sindh government in this process. Julian Harness, on behalf of the United Nations, assured full cooperation and stated that the DDMA (District Disaster Management Authority) will be provided with training according to international standards.
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