Houses to be constructed for flood victims

Islamabad : Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) will construct small houses for the flood-affected homeless people and launched a Rs3.5 billion project for complete restoration of life in the calamity-hit areas, said HHRD head Javed Siddiqui.

He said that individual would be benefited from the project sans any discrimination of race, caste and religion. He said that all overseas Pakistanis would stand by their brothers in this hour of need till their complete rehabilitation.

Javed Siddiqui, head of the organisation living in the United States, while talking to the media through a video link, made the announcement of the construction of small houses for the flood-affected homeless people. Country Director of HHRD Saleem Mansoori was also present on the occasion.

Javed Siddiqui said that the recent rains and floods wreaked havoc across the country and Helping Hand immediately reached the worst flood-hit of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakh­tun­khwa, South Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan and carried out relief work on a priority basis.

He said that now the rehabilitation phase was started after completion the relief operation in 40 selected districts during which over 2 lac people were provided relief goods. He stated that in the elected districts, priority was given to the communities living in the riverside areas where hundreds of people lost their lives due to the floods, besides displacing millions of people, adding that women, the elderly people and children were hit-hard by the disaster. In this crisis situation, Helping Hand provided relief goods flood victims across the country, he added. He stated that ration was distributed and cooked food was delivered door to door, besides organising medical camps. Nowshera, Swat, Malakand, Kohistan, Nawabshah, Dadu, Mirpur Khas, Badin, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Kashmore, Kundhkot, Karachi, Lasbela, Nushki, Loralai, Quetta, Pashin, Qila Saifullah, Dikki and Jafarabad in Balochistan were badly affected by the floods.

Javed Siddiqui said that brother non-governmental organizations from all over the world have contacted Helping Hand for relief and rehabilitation projects for the flood victims of Pakistan. Projects for the flood victims would also be started in collaboration with international non-governmental donor organizations, he added. He made it clear that these projects have been launched in league with state institutions and transparency and meritocracy would be ensured come what may.