Rs300mn development project launched in Quetta

QUETTA: Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Major General Saeed Alam performed the ground-breaking ceremony of Rs300 million project to be completed under the aegis of World Food Program (WFP) aimed at strengthen the capacities of the national institutions for better calamity response.

WFP country head Jean-Luc Siblot, Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khalid Baloch, Logistics Officer WFP Fie Ishi were also present during the ceremony of state-of-the-art warehouse facility.

NDMA chairman on the occasion said that floods and other catastrophes caused massive loss to the economy of Pakistan during last couple of years.

"Natural calamities could not be stopped but the effects of the disasters could be mitigated through the precautionary measures," he said adding losses incurred by the floods could have been reduced had these measures been taken, Mr Aleem maintained.

He deplored that during last three years, the country suffered a loss of $16 billion of which $10 billion loss was incurred only in 2010 floods, which also claimed thousands of human lives.

"Besides causing massive human lives, these natural disasters cast negative impact on economic development of the country, Mr Aleem said adding making proper preparedness, losses of calamities could have been reduced.

He said in a bid to contain the losses caused by the catastrophes,
government has approved the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Policy and 10-year National Disaster Management Plan to reduce the scale of reduction in future.

Stressing the need for early bringing improvement in the warning system, he said that drastic measures are required to upgrade the old systems.

WFP Country chief Mr Jean Luc Siblot on the occasion said that Pakistan has a long history of being disproportionately affected by natural disasters.

"The tragic 2005 earthquake took the lives of more than 70,000 people and affected some 3.5 million more countrywide," he said adding we are all too familiar with the devastation caused by the 2010 and 2011 floods, which affected some 20 million Pakistani.

Mr Siblot noted the economic impact of natural disaster on Pakistan
and Pakistani people has been tremendous, and is increasing as floods repeatedly affected the same communities, and the same vulnerable poor. (APP)