Germany to support displaced people in Fata, agreement signed

PESHAWAR: The government of Federal Republic of Germany is going to support the temporary displaced persons in Federally Administered Tribal Areas with an aid of EU 10 million, which would be spread over a four years period.
The funding would be provided through the KFW Development Bank of Germany. It would be implemented by the Fata Unit of Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP).
The two major components of the programme would be the rebuilding of community and public infrastructure and vocational trainings.
The communities in the region would be actively involved in the programme through a social mobilisation process, which is adapted to the Fata environment.
The agreement for the programme was signed by the federal secretary for Economic Affairs, the head of Germany Aid in Pakistan and the chief executive officer (CEO) of SRSP at a function in Islamabad today.
The visiting German minister for Aid and the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar were present on the occasion.
This agreement was a part of a larger aid package for Pakistan amounting to Rs 9 billion.
Dar described the day as a great day for Pakistan.
The other aid packages that were signed would support WAPDA and the development of infrastructure in two of the KP districts.
The German minister said the economic cooperation between Germany and Pakistan would continue to expand and Germany would support Pakistan in its development efforts.
The KWF has been supporting civil society organisations in the development sector since the earthquake of 2005 and seen them as a viable alternative to support the state efforts for development.
The SRSP was the leading partner of KFW in a programme where it built 63,000 houses after the earthquake in Mansehra and Battagram, which won international acknowledgement.
The KFW has also been supporting SRSP through PPAF to work in Upper Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram and Chitral districts to support livelihood programmes and programmes for the development of hydro electricity and community infrastructure.
The plan unfolded by the Fata Secretariat for the development of Fata earlier this year offered plural routes to the development of Fata to international donors willing to help in the process.
Many donors prefer to work with partners they have trusted and have worked for a long period of time and may not necessarily work with the UNDP option.
The KFW has been deeply committed to promoting local institutions and has recognises their role in adapting to difficult local environments.
The SRSP has been working in Fata since 2007 when the Fata Unit of the RSPs was established with support from the government.
The unit raised over 3 million dollars for a programme funded by the CIDA.
The RSP programmes were subsequently expanded to other parts of the Fata on the request of Pakistan Army and the Fata Secretariat.
The SRSP has a large humanitarian programme in the region now. The experience of the CIDA funded programme was shared at an international conference in Islamabad with regional countries and was presided by the Additional Chief Secretary Fata.
The present programmes is seen as a continuation of this work that showed how organisation could work in difficult and complex environment and deliver results on the ground.