US provides $36 million for reconstruction of schools, clinics in Malakand

Ambassador Robin Raphel, the US Co-ordinator for Economic and Development Assistance in Pakistan said that the United States has provided US $36 million for the reconstruction of schools and health clinics in the conflict affected Malakand Division.
Replying queries of the journalists here during a ceremony to mark the success of the partnership in providing high quality wheat seeds to flood affected farmers, she said that since October 2009 the United States has provided US $870 million to initiating several development projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Those present on the occasion included Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Agriculture, Arbab Ayub Jan, Constance Arvis, US Consul General, Peshawar, Ed Birgells, Regional Director KP/FATA USAID/Pakistan and Joseph Bergen, Special Assistant to Ambassador Raphel. She said that US $420 million were provided for the provision of assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The US official said that during the flood another assistance of US $550 million was provided for the relief of the flood affectees while US $62 million Agricultural Recovery Programme including 21 million dollars for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone to help the province's farmers recover from the floods of the last summer has been launched. Under the Agricultural Recovery Program seed packages to households throughout the country just in time for sowing the Rabi crop was distributed to cultivate wheat crop for 2011 and to protect the depriving rural communities from poverty and hunger.
The programme also includes cash-for-work projects to clean and repair irrigation systems and provide farmers with much-needed vegetable seeds to quickly boost family nutrition. The program also provides supplementary feed and veterinary support for livestock to prevent disease outbreaks and offers overall support to ensure the agricultural health of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the floods.
The program is a joint effort between the government of KPK and the United States agency for International Development (USAID), and is being implemented by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The Provincial Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authoirty (PaRRSA) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) identified villages and union councils in order to arrange the seed distribution and work tirelessly in the districts to train farmers and ensure efficient distribution.
Ambassador Robin Raphel, the US Co-ordinator for Economic and Development Assistance in Pakistan said that over 1.3 million rural farming people have been provided food security under the Agricultural Recovery Program. "We are pleased to be able to help the government of Pakistan provides these essential commodities to its people," she added. She said that the USAID's continued partnership with the government of Pakistan will help revitalise KPK's agricultural resources and restore economic activity across the flood-affected areas of the province.