Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative in Pakistan Angela Kearney and Chitral Deputy Commissioner Osama Ahmed Warraich on Friday inaugurated a drinking water project which has been restored in Chitral.

With a total outlay of $223,000 funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the Angarghoon water supply scheme is the largest and the only source for safe drinking water in the area. It is expected to benefit over 80,000 people in Chitral town and the neighbouring villages.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Osama Ahmed Warraich said that the district government is grateful to UNICEF and DFID for their generous support in restoring this water scheme, which is the main source of safe drinking water for the people of Chitral. People in this region have suffered due to recurrent natural calamities and the district authorities are trying their utmost to rehabilitate the affected population, he said, adding that support from the humanitarian community is this context is invaluable. UNICEF has proactively restored 20 drinking water schemes in Chitral district and another 21 in Shangla district, within months of the floods and the earthquake that struck the region in 2015. These schemes have been restored on the principle of ‘Build Back Better’ incorporating the elements of disaster risk reduction to help communities be better prepare for a disaster and minimise its effects. “Recurrent natural disasters in Chitral during the last few months have made it evident that climate change is having an adverse effect on this region,” said Angela Kearney, UNICEF representative.

“Restoration of the Angarghoon water scheme is a testimony to the fact that we are mindful of the most basic need – clean and safe drinking water – for the people of Chitral.

“Lack of safe drinking water in the aftermath of a disaster could lead to the spread of waterborne diseases, especially among children and that is a situation we wish to prevent. UNICEF is grateful to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the DFID for its generous support not only for this particular water scheme but also for their overall support to our water, sanitation and hygiene emergency response after the floods and the earthquake in Chitral,” Angela Kearney added.