Covid-19 outbreak: WB, DFID offer emergency support to KP govt

PESHAWAR: International development partners including the World Bank and Department for International Development have come forward to extend emergency support to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in the aftermath of COVID-19 outbreak.

The representatives of the World Bank have formally pledged an initial sum of $14 million as emergency assistance to the KP the government in a virtual conference meeting with the Additional Chief Secretary, Shakeel Qadir Khan. Representatives of the Department for International Development were also present at the meeting. The additional chief secretary appreciated the World Bank’s financial assistance and recognized the technical support by the UNDP Merged Areas Governance Project to the Task Force on Economy and Employment.

World Bank’s Country Director, Patchamuthu Illangovan, and Operations Manager, Melinda Good, apprised the additional chief secretary of approach on closely working with the KP government in dealing with COVID-19 outbreak and its socioeconomic implications. The World Bank team said they were working on the development of a multifaceted programme including support to redress the emergency needs on an immediate basis and assistance to deal with the economic challenges in the longer term.

Discussing the imperatives of the health emergency and the lockdown actions, the additional chief secretary informed the development partners that the KP government was focusing on undertaking immediate relief measures as well as devising mitigation strategy to address the long-term impact on the economy and employment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Head of DFID Pakistan, Annabel Gerry, reiterated UK’s continued support to the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in these difficult times as one of its long-term development partners.