Sindh Government and World Bank Collaborate to Empower Women and Restore Livelihoods

Strategic Insights -

The Sindh government and the World Bank are working together to rebuild homes and lives of those affected by the devastating 2022 floods in the province. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, along with the World Bank team and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, visited a flood rehabilitation housing project in Shaheed Benazirabad district, where she handed over ownership right certificates to women homeowners. The project, under the Sindh Peoples Housing for Flood Affected (SPHF) program, aims to rebuild homes destroyed by the floods and provide socio-economic empowerment to rural women.

Key Takeaways:

  • The SPHF program has reconstructed 778,000 homes and allocated $54.92 million for water, sanitation, and hygiene, benefiting 66,691 families in 1,000 villages.
  • In Shaheed Benazirabad alone, 104,822 homes were destroyed, but 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.
  • The World Bank initially provided $500 million to kickstart the recovery and later increased funding by $450 million over two years.
  • The SPHF program is a historic socio-economic empowerment initiative by the Sindh government, significantly benefiting rural women.

Statistics:

  • Over 2.4 million homes were destroyed in the 2022 floods in Sindh.
  • The World Bank has provided a total of $950 million in funding for the SPHF program.
  • The program has constructed 778,000 homes and allocated $54.92 million for water, sanitation, and hygiene.
  • 104,822 homes were destroyed in Shaheed Benazirabad, but about 60,000 are under construction while nearly 40,000 are completed.
  • Over 111,000 disabled persons are receiving accessible homes, and more than 800,000 women have opened bank accounts for the first time.
  • The program has provided safe shelter to over 6 million people and created more than 1 million new jobs.

Sources:

  • Government of Sindh
  • World Bank
  • Press Release: Sindh Peoples Housing for Flood Affected (SPHF) Program