Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and United Nations Resident Coordinator for Pakistan have agreed to provide urgent assistance to drought affected areas of Thar, Kohistan and Kachho and reduce their vulnerability to future droughts.
UN RC Neil Buhne called on Sindh Chief Minister here along with his delegation comprising Chief of Field Office UNICEF Cristina Brugiolo, FAO Head of Sub Office Genevieve Hussain and UNRCO Imran Leghari.
The Chief Ministered and the UN RC discussed the work of the United Nations in Sindh and how cooperation with the provincial government could be strengthened to benefit more people.
They focused on ways to provide more urgent assistance to those affected by drought, and how to reduce their vulnerability to future droughts in Thar, Kachho and Kohistan areas.
The chief minister said that employment opportunities have been created in Tharparkar through coal mining and coal-fired power plant; therefore, poverty ratio was dropping down there. “I want to start similar employment generating activities in Kachho and Kohistan to reduce poverty there,” he said and added a comprehensive planning would be made in consultation with UNRC, his team and other experts.
Mr. Buhne complimented the Chief Minister on excellent work done in some localities in Sindh on reducing the high prevalence of stunted growth, and on the need expand that work to reach all vulnerable children.
He also appreciated the leadership of CM on the strong support to the polio eradication drive in Sindh and discussed the importance of eradicating the Wild Polio Virus, especially from urban areas, and the challenges of doing this.
They discussed programmes to improve reproductive health of women and to slow population growth, to expand the reach and quality of education for children, efforts to reduce rural poverty, to improve water management, and actions to reduce the effects of climate change on people.
Mr. Buhne appreciated the work of the Chief Minister to have Sindh meet the Sustainable Development Goals and offered UN support to link this closer to the policies and programmes of the provincial government to promote and implement pro-poor policies. He was joined the meeting by members of the UN Sind team.
The chief minister assured the UN RC and his delegation that he would facilitate them to visit in Thar and work against mal nutrition there.
The UN RC told the chief minister that he had visited Thar and went to Islamkot which had been declared as a model taluka of Tharparkar. He appreciated the provincial government for making record development works in Tharparkar and reduction of poverty by creating employment opportunities there.
