PESHAWAR, Nov 4: ActionAid Pakistan and Blue Veins, non-governmental organisations, have begun a joint campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the advocacy of rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in flood-hit areas.

He said the campaign would also sensitise legislators, disaster management authorities, media and civil society organisations on flood rehabilitation issues.

Mr Qamar said unfortunately, public and private sectors were not giving appropriate attention to flood rehabilitation and reconstruction issues, especially revival of means of livelihood, including business.

”Flood reconstruction presents the single most important opportunity for promoting growth and poverty reduction.

It will revive livelihoods and create employment opportunities for the flood-affected people and thus, substantially reducing poverty. Above all, reconstruction gives people a message of hope in despair,” he said.

The programme coordinator said since sustainable reconstruction was the key to economic renewal in Pakistan, there was a dire need to initiate a campaign to streamline issues related to it.

He said the campaign would focus key issues such as climate-proof construction, agricultural development, energy crisis, transportation, logistics and security.

”The campaign will highlight the concerns of the common people and will ensure that reconstruction-related concerns are heard and should be addressed at the policy level,” he said.

Mr Qamar said the campaign would emphasise on the rebuilding of lives with local ownership, encourage self-help in house reconstruction and recovery of livelihoods and call for implementation of reconstruction programmes with strong community participation and ownership.