|
A $3 million gift of water filtration and storage supplies from the
people of Norway to the survivors of the earthquake in northern
Pakistan was received here Wednesday by the UNICEF Representative along
with the Minister for Environment.
“Norway holds a special people-to-people
relationship with Pakistan,” said Ambassador Janis Bjørn Kanavin, who
points to the strong response to the earthquake from Norwegians, where
those of Pakistani origin constitute the largest immigrant population.
The Ambassador presented a certificate of the gift to UNICEF
Representative Mr. Omar A. Abdi in a ceremony at the Ministry of
Environment on Wednesday afternoon following the arrival of the first
of the two shipments from Norway. |
The Norwegian government is very mindful that the emergency after the
earthquake is still ongoing. “We have chosen to apply our assistance
mainly through the UN and the coordinating clusters working closely
with the Government of Pakistan,” said Ambassador Kanavin. Norway has
granted and spent nearly $80 million for relief efforts in Pakistan, of
which $58 million is donated through UN Agencies.
“The filters and storage tanks being donated by Norway are essential
for ensuring that people living in camps and rural locations beside
their destroyed homes have access to safe drinking water until water
supply systems can be repaired,” said Mr. Abdi. “UNICEF is working
closely with local governments, NGOs and bilateral partners such as
Norway to improve access to safe drinking water immediately and to
repair and rehabilitate water supply systems for the long term.”
The donation comprises three items, 50,000 emergency water filter kits,
100,000 water storage bags with zips and 310 collapsible water tanks of
various capacities, ranging from 3,000 litres to 50,000 litres.
“The provision of safe drinking water has been a priority in the
Ministry of Environment’s relief efforts, from providing water
purification tablets within days of the earthquake to setting up water
filtration plants at various locations,” said Major (R) Tahir Iqbal,
Federal Minister for Environment. “These water filter kits are just the
kind of thing needed in the earthquake areas, as they require no
chemicals and have no moving parts, making them easy to use, maintain
and sustain.”
Besides two water filters, the emergency kits include 10 L containers
for holding the raw water and storing the filtered drinking water. The
container holding the raw water is suspended higher than the storage
container, allowing the water to flow by gravity through a filter.
UNICEF intends to set up the collapsible water storage tanks at camps
and in urban settings, where there is a concentrated demand for clean
water, and filled by tankers with safe water. The water filter kits are
especially suitable for individual families in rural areas or camps
where provision of safe and clean drinking water is inadequate or large
storage units are not feasible.
|
