ISLAMABAD: The coalition members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz led government decided on Monday to establish a National Flood Response and Coordination Center to tackle the situation arising out of floods in the country and undertake the restoration and rehabilitation of flood affectees.

The announcement to establish the center was made in a statement issued after the meeting of the allied parties chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) briefed the meeting in detail about the situation of floods in the country and rescue and relief activities.

During the meeting, the situation arising out of the devastating floods in the country was reviewed in detail.

The meeting noted that the damage caused by the floods due to rains across the country particularly in the provinces of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, South Punjab, and Gilgit Baltistan was unprecedented in the last 60 years.

So far, at least 33 million have been affected with the death toll in excess of 1,000. Tens of thousands of houses and thousands of kilometres of road network has been damaged, with parts of the country in Balochistan and KP cut off.

The participants appreciated the untiring efforts made under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the rescue of flood affectees, for undertaking emergency steps for relief, regular visits to the flood-affected areas and uninterrupted assistance to the victims.

They also lauded the federal government for its immediate relief to the flood victims, the release of Rs5 billion to NDMA, Rs15 billion to Sindh, a special grant of Rs10 billion to Balochistan, and Rs1 million to the family of every deceased and grant of money to the injured and for damages to the houses and for other losses.

The meeting applauded the premier’s decision to give immediate assistance of Rs25,000 in cash to every person affected by the floods.

The participants thanked the international partners, world community, the United Nations, development agencies, and especially friendly countries for their help in tackling the natural disaster and expressed the hope that they would fully extend additional help in the assistance and restoration of the flood affectees.

During the meeting, it was proposed that a national-level comprehensive plan should be formulated for reconstruction.

It was decided that the federal government would complete the final assessment of the losses in a transparent manner in consultation with the provincial governments and institutions and effective plans would be made for the restoration of the affectees within a given timeframe.

The participants endorsed the proposal to prepare a comprehensive strategy for the future by learning lessons from the threat of climate change and present conditions so that all efforts could be made for ensuring preemptive preparation against a natural disaster.

It was decided to take necessary measures to enhance the capability and capacity of the administrative machinery for eradicating the illegal constructions on the rivers and waterways. Steps should also be taken for storage of the flood water.

The meeting supported the decision of PM Shehbaz’to set up the Prime Minister Relief Fund 2022 and agreed with the decision to launch an extensive campaign to collect funds inside the country and from abroad.

In this connection, a campaign would be run at the government, party, and individual levels so that the task of rehabilitation of the flood affectees could be accomplished with the cooperation of philanthropists, institutions, international partners, and friendly countries.

The federal ministers, chiefs of armed forces, the Balochistan chief minister, provincial chief secretaries, and high-level officials attended the meeting.

Later the Prime Minister in tweets said that the center will serve as a bridge between disaster management authorities, donors & government institutions.

Flood Response Plan

The “2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan” would be launched simultaneously by the government of Pakistan and the United Nations (UN) in Islamabad and Geneva respectively on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will deliver the keynote address at the launch event being hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by a video message from Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres.

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, will also deliver remarks in his capacity as the Chairperson of the “Relief Coordination Committee” constituted by the premier.

The plan has been prepared in close coordination with NDMA.