SDC Humanitarian Aid
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has been active in Pakistan for 45 years, and is represented by the Swiss Cooperation Office in Islamabad. Cooperation focuses on income generation, water and rural development. SDC Humanitarian Aid (SDC-HA) is assisting the Government of Pakistan in emergencies with relief and reconstruction programmes.
In response to the earthquake in 2005, SDC-HA reconstructed 90 schools and five Basic Health Units according to anti-seismic norms. This project was partly financed by UNICEF and DFID (UK Department for International Development). After the emergency relief delivered during the devastating floods in 2010 and the measures taken to assist the affected populations in getting through the winter, SDC-HA has started various reconstruction projects in the domains of public infrastructure, drinking water and disaster risk reduction (DRR). The projects are implemented in the Province of Khyber Pakthunkwa (KPK) north-east of the country.
Reconstruction and rehabilitation of schools
SDC-HA supports the Government of the Province of Khyber Pakthunkwa (KPK) in reconstructing the educational infrastructure damaged by the 2010 floods. Work has started to rebuild six out of 33 fully damaged primary schools in the Swat district that were identified in an initial assessment. Besides that, SDC is also rehabilitating 17 partially damaged schools in Swat, Charsadda and Nowshehra districts. As partner, UNICEF will conduct teachers’ training and hygiene awareness programmes in the schools built by SDC-HA. Furthermore, SDC-HA supports UNICEF in the construction of four transitional shelter schools, which will be later on used as Women Centres.
Provision of safe drinking water
Building on the previous collaboration with local NGOs during the 2010 flood relief phase, SDC-HA has started a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programme in Charsadda and Nowshehra. It includes well cleaning and contamination prevention measures as well as water treatment and hygiene awareness activities. Water schemes are planned at communal level for a potable water supply in Madyan and other locations in Swat. Water committees will be established for the management and maintenance of the schemes.