Sindh flood reconstruction: WB-financed project disburses over USD630m

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank–financed Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project has disbursed more than USD630 million and reached over 1.5 million people, as reconstruction gains pace across flood-hit districts of the province, according to the latest implementation report.

The project, launched in the aftermath of the 2022 floods, is supporting owner-driven reconstruction of climate-resilient housing in rural Sindh. Reconstruction has commenced on more than 410,000 core housing units, while 274,205 homes have been completed in line with multi-hazard resilient standards.

According to the Report, overall progress toward the Project Development Objective remains rated “Satisfactory,” with implementation progress also assessed as “Satisfactory.” The overall risk rating, however, continues to be classified as “Substantial.”

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The report states that approximately 1,508,128 people have enhanced resilience to climate risks through completed housing units, calculated on the basis of an average household size of 5.5 persons. Of these beneficiaries, around 754,064 are women and over 211,000 are youth.

The programme has placed particular emphasis on vulnerable groups. More than 35,000 vulnerable individuals — including widows, women with disabled spouses and unaccompanied elderly persons — have benefited from housing reconstruction support. Women account for approximately 96 percent of beneficiaries in this category.

On the financial inclusion front, about 1.55 million people are now using formal financial services, many for the first time, to receive housing subsidy payments. Youth account for over 150,000 of these account holders, while female beneficiaries number approximately 558,000.

Training and capacity-building efforts have also progressed. Nearly 20,000 masons have been trained in multi-hazard resilient and inclusive construction standards, while close to 488,000 beneficiaries have received project-related training on resilient reconstruction practices and environmental and social safeguards.

Cumulative disbursements show that of the first USD536.80 million, IDA credit has reached 87 percent utilization, while the additional financing approved in December 2024 amounting USD471.78 million has disbursed over 34 percent to date.

However, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) component has faced delays due to the late onboarding of engineering consultants. Project design documents for 17 pilot villages have been finalized, with key technical issues relating to water quality, sustainability and operations and maintenance expected to be addressed during the Mid-Term Review.

The project is scheduled to close on June 30, 2028, with a target of reconstructing 770,000 resilient housing units and reaching more than 4.2 million people with enhanced climate resilience.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026