September 30, 2006	Saturday	Ramazan 6, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 29: The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has started rebuilding schools and hospitals in the quake-affected areas of the NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where the agency has successfully completed the first phase of rehabilitation programme.

Talking to journalists at the residence of the Counsellor for Public Affairs of the US Embassy, James H. Williams, USAID Pakistan Mission Director Jonathan S. Addleton said it would be USAID’s four-year quake reconstruction programme and would cost $200 million.

USAID Pakistan’s Deputy Director Marilee Kane and Communications Director White Mason were present on the occasion.

The mission director said that the US had pledged $510 million for quake relief and reconstruction efforts to assist the people of Pakistan and to support the government’s relief and reconstruction efforts.

He said the purpose of the USAID programme, was to rebuild schools and hospitals, improve education and health services and improve economic well being in the quake-hit areas of the NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

He said $130 million had been reserved for reconstruction which would be done through local partners.

The USAID would build, furnish and equip primary healthcare facilities and local hospitals, and primary, middle and high schools, he added.

The official said that all structures would be constructed to meet the internationally recognized quake-resistant building standards and would provide access for the handicapped.

The USAID would begin construction of 50 schools and 15 healthcare centres, including the construction of the tehsil headquarters hospital in Bagh, he said, adding that the USAID had allocated $28 million to be spent on health sector in the next four years.

He said under the Primary Healthcare Revitalization Integration and Decentralisation (Pride) project in quake-affected areas work would be done to improve and expand the network of health services.

Regional hospitals and clinics would be able to ensure that people have better access to vital medical care by providing services that have an impact on health and survival, such as: immunisations against childhood diseases; preventing and treating pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria; providing Vitamin A and care for obstetric emergencies.

At the community level, he said, the programme would not only make it easier for people to access quality medical services, but also to have the right information to better manage their personal health.

In the education sector, $13 million ‘Revitalising, Innovating and Strengthening Education programme (Rise) would be implemented with the cooperation of Pakistani partners — the National Rural Support Programme and Sungi Development Foundation.

Mr Jonathan said the USAID would work with district education offices, teachers, parents and communities to improve the quality of classroom instruction in the quake areas.

He said 5,000 elementary, middle and high school teachers would be trained in English, mathematics and science.

Rise would also mobilize community participation by building effective parent associations that would assist in school reconstruction and improvement activities, he added.

Livelihoods programmes, being initiated with $28 million, would work to recover and expand the economy of the quake-hit areas through activities aimed at households, industries and markets.

He said the USAID would assist remote farmers as they re-establish and expand crop systems, restore and care for livestock, reconstruct animal shelters, repair water system, and restore orchards, leading to better income opportunities.

It would also revitalise local trade and industry by improving access to finance, re-establishing markets, and expanding trading opportunities, he added.

He said all activities would be developed cooperatively with local residents and the government.

He said women and vulnerable populations would make up at least 35 per cent of the beneficiary population.

He appreciated the cooperation of the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra) and other government departments in the rehabilitation and reconstruction work.

He said that there had been close cooperation between USAID and other donor agencies with Erra and other provincial governments in the relief and rehabilitation work.

Regarding complexity of the reconstruction work, the USAID mission director said it would take four to five years to complete the work in the affected areas.—APP