100-unit prefab villages: PM urges philanthropists to ‘adopt’ flood victims

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday appealed to philanthropists including industrialists, and expatriates to support the government’s flood rehabilitation efforts by replicating the model of building-100-unit prefabricated houses for flood victims.

Addressing here at the launch ceremony of prefabricated residential units in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, the prime minister urged the affluent to ‘adopt’ the flood-hit people of Balochistan and Sindh by providing them the infrastructure equipped with necessary facilities.

The prime minister in September had announced to construct residential units for the people of Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, who were displaced by the massive flashfloods in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. The project worth Rs 140 million was carried out as a gesture of philanthropy by Menzies Aviation and former special assistant to prime minister on aviation Captain Shujaat Azeem.

Shehbaz Sharif, who handed over keys of the residential units to flood victims, expressed satisfaction that the accommodation comprising two rooms, a kitchenette and a toilet would provide relief to the displaced people. He said the post-flood damages needed more people to come forward and contribute towards replicating the same model villages and assist the government in amplifying its rehabilitation efforts.

The prime minister mentioned that the recent floods inflicted huge damage to around two million houses, infrastructure and roads, however, he expressed satisfaction that the federal and provincial governments along with private sector put their best efforts to provide relief to the affected people.

He lauded National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the provincial disaster management authorities for carrying out relief and rehabilitation activities in the flood-affected areas. He said the federal government disbursed Rs 70 billion to the flood-struck people in the provinces through Benazir Income Support Programme.