This project will organize affected youth to clean and fumigate the camps, and also establish sanitation facilities in the camps. In the later stage of reconstruction youth will be organized to clear debris from market places, roads and local infrastructure,” announced by Mr Donglin Li, ILO Country Director during his meeting with the Federal Labour Minister and Federal Labour Secretary while visiting Sukkur on 23 August 2010.

The District Coordination Officer, Sukkur briefed visiting Federal Labour Secretary and Mr Li about the current situation and effects of the floods in Sukkur. The DCO said that 39 per cent of the Sindh Province is flooded with water. Majority of the people are subsistence farmers, who had been affected by the floods of the Indus River. Sharing statistics about the flood affected people in District Sukkur, the DCO informed that 49,005 are residents of District whereas 92,685 affected people have moved in from the neighboring districts. The District Government Sukkur has established 235 relief camps to accommodate these flood affected people. The number of people in these camps keeps growing with every passing day. The DCO also shared that there are 60 fixed medical dispensaries, and 30 mobile dispensaries, and besides this animals are also being vaccinated and treated. Currently, the District Government is hosting 35,000 affected families, however, UN agencies, NGOs, and other organizations have extended their help to the flood affected people. He informed that during last 24 hours there has been an outbreak of gastro disease in the relief camps that could further worsen. Talking about the economic losses, DCO said that the rice crop in the district has been totally destroyed, and people also lost their livestock, livelihoods and employments. Government is working on a two pronged rehabilitation strategy, firstly, cash support to reclaim land, and secondly cash supplement to cover the animal and other livelihoods losses of the affected families. He also highlighted the importance of livelihood and employment in the process of reconstruction phase.

Mr Li shared the ILO cash for work program with the DCO and expressed the desire to rehabilitate the flood affected people. The DCO appreciated ILO’s support and expressed that the government would welcome any assistance from the international communities.

Later, Federal Labour Secretary and Mr Li visited the relief camps established by Pakistan Air force, Pakistan Army, and District Government camp at Institute of Business Administration in Sukkur. Federal Secretary, Mr Li and ILO Staff Union Representative distributed relief goods at the relief camp established at Government College Sukkur. The ILO Staff Union had raised funds and distributed 225 packets of food and non food Items to flood affected families in Sukkur.

For further information please contact:

Mr M.Saifullah Chaudhry
ILO Country Office for Pakistan
Tel: +92 51 2276456-8
Email