LAHORE: The government launched the ‘Digital Flood Dashboard’ on Monday in order to ensure transparency over relief assistance and its distribution system.

“I hope that with this portal our people will know about the relief effort in a transparent way,” Ahsan Iqbal, the deputy chairman of the National Flood Response and Coordination Center, said while launching it.

The dashboard would provide direct information to the people about the financial support and the relief goods being received and distributed among the flood affected people.

“Pakistan is faced with an unprecedented calamity which has affected thirty-three million people,” he said, adding that the damage caused by the floods was being assessed on daily basis with the cooperation of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the United Nations and the provincial governments.

Final estimates of damage would be available only after the water recedes from all parts of the Sindh and Balochistan provinces.

Earlier, an announcement in this regard was made during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The huddle reviewed rescue and relief activities in the flood-hit areas.

Officials had said that a digital flood dashboard had been prepared with the use of the latest technology to provide all the relevant details about the relief activities and receipt and distribution of relief goods and assistance.

They added that the people and media would be kept abreast of the relief measures.

PM Shehbaz would personally supervise the dashboard as he had promised to the international community and the nation that relief assistance would be provided to the flood victims in a transparent way.

He had also announced that the audit of the financial aid received for the flood victims would be conducted by the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues and the world’s reputed audit firm with the above mentioned objective.

The premier also reviewed the restoration of life activities in the flood affected areas and directed for expediting the rehabilitation of roads, bridges, power supply and other relief measures.

He also directed that provision of basic necessities of life including food items should be ensured in the flood-affected areas. He also stressed the need for formulating a comprehensive strategy to resolve other issues faced by the provinces.

‘Over Rs23b disbursed’ among 924,063 families under BISP

Around Rs23,101,575,000 has been disbursed among 924,063 families of flood affected areas under the Benazir Income Support Program, said a statement.

“Around 81 per cent of the total identified beneficiaries have been served so far,” it said. The senior management of the programme was monitoring the disbursement process.

Province wise breakdown

• 112,485 families have received Rs2,812,125,000 in Balochistan
• 550,235 families have received Rs13,755,875,000 in Sindh
• 114,077 families have received Rs2,851,925,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• 147,266 families have received Rs3,681,650,000 in Punjab

“As many as 5,691 flood affected persons received their payments on Sunday,” said the statement, “Around 81.37 per cent of the total identified beneficiaries have been served so far through 377 special campsites established across the flood affected regions in the country.”

It added that affected families can send their CNIC number to 8171 for registration in ‘Flood Relief Cash Assistance program’.