Pakistani top minister says ‘concerned’ about delays in reconstruction efforts after 2022 deadly floods

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Monday expressed concern about delays in reconstruction efforts after the 2022 devastating floods that killed over 1,700 people, as new rains this monsoon season have continued to drench and wreak havoc in areas that had been badly hit by the deluges two years ago.

Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said last week 347 people were killed and 648 injured in rain-related incidents throughout the country since the monsoon season began in July.

“Ahsan Iqbal underscored the need for swift and efficient implementation of projects to rebuild affected communities and restore livelihoods,” Radio Pakistan reported on the minister’s comments as he presided over the 4th meeting of the Policy and Strategy Committee and the Oversight Board on Post-Flood Reconstruction Activities in Islamabad.

“While discussing the Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project, the Minister expressed concerns about the delays in flood reconstruction efforts in [southwestern] Balochistan [province].”

The $400 million Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project aims to assist approximately 35,100 Balochistan homeowners with housing reconstruction grants to rebuild their homes according to resilience standards. It will also provide livelihood grants to smallholder farmers to support livestock, promote climate-smart agriculture, and enhance other productive activities. The project also focuses on restoring essential services by rehabilitating damaged community infrastructure and facilities, including water supply, irrigation, roads, and other community amenities.

Last week, Save the Children said people affected by floods this monsoon season were living in a relief camp in Sanghar, a district in the southern Sindh province, which was massively hit by floods two years ago.

“The rains and floods have destroyed 80 percent of cotton crops in Sanghar, the primary source of income for farmers, and killed hundreds of livestock,” the charity said.

Another charity, UK-based Islamic Relief, also said weeks of torrential rains in Pakistan have once again triggered displacement and suffering among communities that were already devastated by the 2022 floods and were still in the process of rebuilding their lives and livelihoods.

Pakistan has yet to undertake major reconstruction work because the government didn’t receive most of the funds out of the $9 billion that were pledged by the international community at last year’s donors’ conference in Geneva.

Experts say Pakistan is still not prepared to handle any 2022-like situation mainly because people ignore construction laws while building homes and even hotels in the urban and rural areas.

– With inputs from AP