ISLAMABAD: The World Bank will provide funds to support an early recovery of families affected by the militancy crisis, promote child health, and enhance citizen-centred delivery in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The project, for which the World Bank will provide $12 million under the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF), will enhance citizen-centred delivery through the establishment of ‘Citizen Facilitation Centres’ in population centres to serve the entire population of the tribal and four adjoining districts. This will be the third financing of the project since the second financing of $15m, approved in July 2019.

Selected services to be introduced at the facilitation centres include Vital Registration Service (VRS), Civil Registration Management System (CRMS) and Nadra ‘E-Sahulat’, which will further promote access of beneficiaries to a range of public services.

Financing will promote child health in KP’s tribal districts

The additional financing of World Bank, to be approved next month, will promote child health through cash transfers linked to attendance of health awareness sessions to incentivise demand side uptake of critical health and nutrition services to reduce malnutrition and improve uptake of vaccination.

According to the project document, 16 new facilitation centres will be established besides introducing additional services, including VRS, CRMS, Nadra E-Sahulat platform, and other services in four districts which are Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Tank.

VRS will include all services pertaining to issuance or modification of Compu-terised National Identity Cards and CRCs. Introduction of CRMS in collaboration with the local government or commissioner’s offices will enable citizens, particularly women, to receive birth, marriage and death certificates.

The project is being implemented in all seven tribal districts of the merged areas (erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas). Access to basic public services for citizens in the Merged Areas and adjoining districts remains a constraint as security and accessibility issues persist.

Accomplishing this agenda still has a long way to go due to the complex process of integration with KP province, weak institutions and continuing security concerns.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2020