Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday held a meeting with a World Bank delegation to discuss the launch of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project and the ongoing flood relief housing efforts as well as other initiatives in the province.

The meeting, which took place at the CM House in Karachi, included WB managing director Anna Bejarred, country director Naji Bin Hussein and other officials from the Bank, a statement by the CM House read.

Both the Sindh government and WB sides agreed on the effective initiation of the WASH project aimed at improving access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene practices across the province, according to the statement.

“The initiative targeted 3,200 flood-affected villages, providing essential facilities to enhance public health and living conditions,” it added.

CM Murad highlighted that the WASH project was being launched with a total budget of $270 million, benefiting approximately 1.5m people, with breakdown includes $75m from the World Bank, $13m from the Islamic Development Bank, $100m from the Asian Development Bank, and $100m from the Sindh government.

The meeting also discussed the Sindh People’s Housing Project. CM Murad noted that the 2022 floods submerged 70 per cent of Sindh, affecting 12.36 million people and destroying 2.1 million homes.

“The housing project covered a rural population of 15 million, exceeding the population of 154 countries worldwide,” the statement quoted the chief minister as saying.

“So far, 120,000 bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries were opened, and financial assistance was distributed to 1.15 million individuals,” he added.

“Around 750,000 house foundations have been completed, with 500,000 homes in the final stages of construction. Additionally, 900,000 land ownership certificates have been issued in the names of women, empowering them economically and socially.”

The chief minister also said that the project has generated over one million employment opportunities, providing vital livelihoods for affected communities.

During the visit, the WB delegation also toured a photo gallery at the CM House featuring prominent Pakistani women, from Fatima Jinnah to other national icons. The delegation appreciated the historical architecture and artistic presentation of the residence.

A day earlier, CM Murad and Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari visited a flood rehabilitation housing project in Shaheed Benazirabad district of Sindh, accompanying a delegation of WB officials. During the visit, WB’s Bejerde reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting the Sindh government’s flood recovery efforts.