ISLAMABAD, July 25: The economic affairs division has approved UN development programme’s $5.4 million Building Enabling Governance and Institutions for Earthquake Response (BEGIN-ER) project, a UN official said on Tuesday.

BEGIN-ER will be executed by UNDP in partnership with the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra), NWFP government, AJK administration, local government departments and non-governmental organizations.

Out of $5.4 million, $3.1 million have been provided through UNDP resources, $250,000 from the European Commission Humanitarian Office through UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction while there is a funding gap of $2 million.

This project will enable local government institutions to function again quickly and have technical capacities to plan and implement disaster response activities through a transparent, equitable and participatory process.

This will be achieved through the provision of some 300 transitional office structures, with the accompaniment of necessary equipment. The project will also build capacity of local government officials and elected representatives to plan an effective role in coordination, planning and monitoring disaster response.

“This project will strengthen infrastructure to facilitate rehabilitation and self-reliance among the people of the affected areas. He also said that he was confident that through this initiative the local authorities in the affected areas would soon become self-sufficient and be in a better position to help their communities,” Zafar Iqbal, assistant resident representative of UNDP’s crisis prevention and recovery unit.

With the approaching winter it is important to ensure that the local authorities are supported as soon as possible. UNDP will be responsible for planning the project implementation, mobilising resources including the hiring of project personnel and procurements, monitoring, implementation and reporting to the government of Pakistan on progress as well as results.

The project’s life is expected to be 18 months and coverage will include 5 districts in the earthquake affected areas. Local government institutions at the district, tehsil and union council levels are expected to play a critical role in the reconstruction and rehabilitation process.

The human and physical loss requires the development of skills as well as restoration to cope with this enormous task. This project will ensure that this is made possible at the earliest.