ISLAMABAD: Whether it was the devastating earthquake in 2005 or the 2010 floods, the United States government has stood with the government and people of Pakistan in every difficult moment.

The delicate journey of friendly relations between the two countries that started 75 years ago has become stronger as support is provided to the Pakistani nation in different sectors including infrastructure and development.

This was pointed out by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Director Philippe Accilien as he spoke at a roundtable conference organised to celebrate the 75th anniversary of partnership between Pakistan and the US. USAID has been assisting the government of Pakistan for the last 61 years, building infrastructure needed to improve the economy and increasing community resilience besides expanding education and health services.

In cooperation with federal and provincial governments, the agency works towards providing a quality life to people living in cities as water, sanitation and waste management have been major issues in them.

Jalilur Rehman, another USAID official, said, “The US contributed more than $300 million after the earthquake, due to which 60 schools were constructed in Bagh and Mansehra where student enrollment was more than 30,000.”

He said the USAID has initiated a strong infrastructure programme in tribal districts, under which more than 600 kilometre long roads and 35 bridges in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan (including two tunnels), been constructed and three trade routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan were developed. Some projects are still in progress and are expected to be completed in a couple of years, Mr Rehman added.

Shahid Mahmood spoke about the essential infrastructural programmes that the agency started in the education sector. These include construction of Centre for Advanced Study in Agriculture and Food security at University of Agriculture (Faisalabad), Centre for Advanced Study in Water at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (Jamshoro) and Centres For Advanced Study in Energy at National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust) and UET Peshawar, in partnership with the Arizona State University.

The reconstruction programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa primarily focused on education and health under which 119 schools that were damaged in terrorism-related incidents and 110 schools that were fully destroyed by floods in 2010 were renovated. Besides this, 49 health facilities were reconstructed by the USAID and handed over to the health department.

Anwar Afridi said the 26-km long Kalat-Quetta-Chaman Road, leading to the Chaman Border is an important trade route which the agency was able to complete with National Highway Authority.

He said USAID has also collaborated with the Sindh government on a vital education project called ‘Sindh Basic Education Programme’, under which 106 schools were to be constructed in the seven northern districts of the province and five towns of Karachi. As many as 83 buildings have been completed so far and the rest are expected to be completed by September 2023.

While talking about assistance provided in the health sector, he said USAID helped in the establishment of the Burns and Trauma Centre in Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar, adding that Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre in Karachi had recently been accomplished which includes a 60-bed psychiatric unit and 120-bed maternity ward. A state-of-the-art hospital in Jacobabad was also constructed to provide health services to the people of not only Sindh but Balochistan as well.

Another official Adeel Ahmed said as part of the municipal service programme, a partnership with Sindh government was signed in 2011 to improve sanitation services in the province.

Latifur Rehman spoke about the municipal services programme costing $43 million in KP, adding that the project had been successfully accomplished due to which a sanitation system and 180 drinking water wells in Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar and Mingora are functional.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2022