NDRMF provides Rs8 billion to NDMA against coronavirus: Amin

Amin said the funding was released in record 24 hours to NDMA and orders for required equipment

ISLAMABAD (APP) – Adviser to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam Friday said National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) was the first institution to respond amid COVID-19 outbreak and provided Rs8 billion to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to procure medical and necessary equipment for fighting the pandemic.

Addressing a media briefing with Chairman NDRMF, Lieutenant General (R) Nadeem Ahmed, he said Ministry of Climate Change has managed this financing for COVID-19 or Coronavirus mitigation measures in liaison with the NDRMF.

Amin said the funding was released in record 24 hours to NDMA and orders for required equipment were placed consequently in China. “I congratulate Chairman NDRMF on this achievement. The first tranche booked items from China have reached today. It included 50 mobile X-Ray machines, 1 lac testing kits, 1 lac N-95 masks and five lac surgical masks.”

He added that around 2million surgical masks, 196 ICU ventilators, testing kits and surgical masks were imported from China part of huge order.

“The coming week or ten days are very crucial for Pakistan as per the situation of the pandemic. Therefore, people must stay at home and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities to contain coronavirus.”

The Adviser added that the ministry was working under a three tier plan in line with the coordinated efforts of the government to reduce the risk of Coronavirus. “It comprises of prevention, mitigation and recovery as in different parts of the country were lying on these three stages.”

He said the equipment acquired by NDMA would be distributed to the hospitals across the country. However, the Authority had developed committees at district level in coordination with the Chief Secretaries of the provinces.

The Adviser informed that a World Bank funding of Rs9.5 billion was also received by the ministry and would utilized for the recovery phase of the plan. “This funding would be used to create jobs and support the unemployed masses in the post corona virus scenario.”

The Ministry’s biggest project of 10 billion Tree Tsunami plantation was halted after the coronavirus outbreak. However, after requesting the Prime Minister, the plantation was revived and around 65,000 daily waged workers were working in this project. “These workers are doing plantation, raising nurseries, guarding the plantation enclosures at Rs600 per daily wages. They are mostly serving in rural areas.”

The 10 Billion Tree Tsunami, he said was not only aiming to grow trees rather generating green jobs. He had also directed the provinces to double the daily wager staff under the project and plant fruit trees. Fruit trees were expensive to plant but the decision was made in view of the pandemic as it’s aftermath was not predictable whereas fruit trees would help generate a source of food and livelihood.

COVID-19, he said had presented a new world map where the global economy had come to a standstill. “Environmentally, the world air pollution has drastically reduced as Pakistan is also among the countries affected due to air pollution especially Lahore city. The air quality has improved ten times more which is mostly attributed to the halt in transportation across the world,” he added.

While quoting a Harvard University research, the Adviser said: “This recent study reveals that air pollution particles can also become carrier of COVID-19 droplets and tree plantation will also help to contain this risk along with employment generation.”

Chairman NDRMF Lieutenant General (R) Nadeem Ahmed also briefed the media persons on Rs9.5 billion funding project to be chipped in by the Fund.

He said the NDRMF since its inception had robustly worked out to develop a transparent and professional institution which was acknowledged by the World Bank.

He said NDRMF would finance and help the Ministry of Climate Change in implementing its Recharge Pakistan. “This project will help create water reservoirs, recharge ground water and help revive wildlife species. Moreover, there are also projects related to Eco-tourism and Electric vehicles that will also be supported by NDRMF.”

The project, he said had got principal approval and when it would be given to NDRMF, it would put similar efforts in the project as it made in developing the Fund.

Blue economy namely fisheries was also neglected in the country where NDRMF would take measures to boost it for economic well-being of the country, he added.

General (R) Nadeem Ahmed said that since the government was striving hard in fighting against COVID-19, NDRMF had started negotiations with Asian Development Bank to get $100 million to support the mitigation measures. “After this funding the total contribution of NDRMF to contain Corona Virus will reach up to $210 million.”