ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that out of total Rs28 billion announced for the people affected by floods in the country, an amount of Rs15 billion had been earmarked for those affected in Sindh.
Talking to the media at Sukkur where he had gone to inspect relief and rescue activities being carried out in the flood-affected areas with Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari standing alongside him, he said right now the government was not in a position to make correct estimates of the losses suffered this monsoon season.
Assuring the people affected by ‘unprecedented’ floods in Sindh of the government’s complete support, the prime minister announced that each affected household would start getting Rs25, 000 in cash from today. Shehbaz said all possible help was being provided to the people at the camps set up for those who had lost their homes in the calamity.
He further said that he had discussion with the army as well as the naval chiefs yesterday during which the steps being taken to assist the flood victims were discussed. Speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister (FM) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that never ever in history had the country been hit by such devastating floods like the ones the nation was witnessing these days as thousands of homes, people’s properties, including cattle, had been washed away by raging water.
He said there was a need that all political parties worked together to mitigate the sufferings of the people hit by floods. He also appealed to the nation to come forward and help those in need. Bilawal also expressed his gratitude to PM Shehbaz for taking time out of his busy routine and spending some time with the victims of the natural disaster.
Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif landed in Sukkur to review the ongoing relief and rehabilitation operations in the flood-hit cities of Sindh. As he landed at Sukkur’s Begum Nusrat Bhutto Airport, Shehbaz Sharif was received by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Minister for Water Resources Syed Khursheed Shah and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
During the flight, the Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority briefed the prime minister on the ongoing relief and rehabilitation operations in the flood-affected areas of the country. The prime minister and the foreign minister then visited the camp set up for flood affectees on Shikarpur Road in Sukkur.
The prime minister would also get an aerial view of flood-hit areas in Sukkur, Rohri, Khairpur, Faiz Ganj, Kot Diji and Thari Mir Wah. Later, the district administration of Sukkur and the representatives of the provincial disaster management authority would brief him about the ongoing work for the relief of the flood-stricken people and rehabilitation of the infrastructure.
The prime minister would also interact with the flood-affected people to review the ongoing relief and rehabilitation works. Later, the Sindh chief secretary and Chief Engineer of Sukkur Barrage would also apprise the prime minister of the destruction caused by the floods.
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