Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, WB MD Anna Bejerde visit flood rehabilitation project in Shaheed Benazirabad

SHAHEED BENAZIRABAD: Anna Bejerde, Managing Director of the World Bank, accompanied by First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Health Minister, Azra Fazal Pechuho and World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine, visited the flood rehabilitation housing project in village Nazr Muhammad Laghari Goth, Shaheed Benazirabad district.

This project, under the Sindh Peoples Housing for Flood Affected (SPHF) program, aims at rebuilding homes destroyed by the 2022 devastating floods.

During the visit, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto and MD Anna Bejerde distributed ownership rights certificates to women homeowners and met with female members of the Village Reconstruction Committee (VRC), who showcased their handicraft work. The committee briefed that 32 homes were destroyed in the village, all of which have now been rebuilt.

Anna Bejerde reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to supporting the Sindh government in flood recovery efforts, praising the resilience of the local people and the leadership’s dedication. She emphasised that sustainable community-level rehabilitation is achievable despite climate change challenges.

First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari highlighted that granting women ownership rights under the SPHF project is a historic socio-economic empowerment initiative by the Sindh government, significantly benefiting rural women.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah noted that over 2.4 million homes were destroyed in the 2022 floods. The World Bank initially provided $500 million to kickstart the recovery, later increasing funding by $450 million over two years. This support has helped construct 778,000 homes and allocated $54.92 million for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) benefiting 66,691 families in 1,000 villages.

SPHF CEO Khalid Mahmood Sheikh briefed that in Shaheed Benazirabad alone, 104,822 homes were destroyed; about 60,000 are under construction while nearly 40,000 are completed. Across Sindh, over 111,000 disabled persons are receiving accessible homes, and more than 800,000 women have opened bank accounts for the first time, promoting financial inclusion.

The program has provided safe shelter to over 6 million people and created more than 1 million new jobs.
This visit underscores the ongoing collaboration between the World Bank and Sindh government to restore livelihoods and empower vulnerable communities affected by climate-induced disasters.