KARACHI: One year after Pakistan's devastating 2022 floods, millions of Pakistanis still need urgent support. As UNICEF reported, more than 1.5 million children require lifesaving nutrition interventions, floods damaged vital infrastructure including 30,000 schools, 2,000 health facilities and 4,300 water systems and access to safe drinking water and sanitation remains worryingly low.

As demonstrated by Ambassador Blome's fourth trip to Sindh, United States is still hard at work helping poorest, hardest hit parts of Pakistan rebuild and recover. Specifically, United States is helping Pakistan meet urgent needs in areas of education, water and health care.

During his trip, Ambassador celebrated opening of 100th school constructed as part of Sindh Basic Education Programme. By 2024, more than 80,000 girls and boys will study in 106 new, climate-resilient school buildings funded by USAID. These state-of art facilities come with science and computer labs, library and modern furniture. They also serve as flood-resilient safe havens and important platforms for parent and community engagement.

US support has also transformed way that people of Jacobabad access safe drinking water. Access to clean, safe drinking water is one of pillars of US-Pakistan 'Green Alliance' framework. Today, thanks to $ 36.7 million agreement with Sindh Planning and Development Department, water, sanitation and hygiene services in Jacobabad for city's 300,000 residents have improved. Programme includes improved garbage collection, installation of water filtration plan and delivery system and improvement of city's wastewater sewage system. During his visit, Ambassador visited Municipal Services Programme Water Filtration Plant, completed in 2020, part of $ 24.4 million water filtration and delivery system project funded by USAID.

Ambassador toured Basic Health Unit in Khairpur, front-line facility helping respond to Pakistan's acute malnutrition emergency and improve lives and health outcomes in flood-affected districts across Sindh. With support from USAID, Basic Health Unit provides Ready to Use Therapeutic Food, nutrition counseling, screening and treatment to improve health of children under five years old and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

2022 floods hit women and children disproportionately hard. At Sindh Rural Support Organisation Office in Sukkur, Ambassador Blome commended heroic work of community midwives whose work reduces maternal and infant mortality. To help meet acute maternal health needs, Ambassador delivered US-donated equipment and kits that will be used to establish 100 community midwives birth stations in Sindh, allowing access timely, high-quality maternal health services at proximity to their homes.

United States has and will continue to stand with Pakistan and its vulnerable communities as millions of Pakistanis work to recover and rebuild. That includes work we are doing to address malnutrition, build more resilient education facilities, improve access to clean water and sanitation and provide needed equipment to ensure better health outcomes for women and children.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 12 2023

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