PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Friday said the provincial government is not only focused on providing urgent assistance to flood-affected families but is also working on long-term measures to minimize future flood damage.
Speaking to a visiting United Nations delegation, the chief minister said the province would relocate communities living in areas that face repeated flooding, build additional small and check dams, install protective nets in cloudburst-prone mountainous districts to slow down debris flow, and launch projects to keep waterways clear of silt and flood-borne material.
The UN delegation, led by Resident Coordinator for Pakistan Mohamed Yahya, expressed solidarity with the province over the recent devastation and pledged to enhance cooperation for relief and rehabilitation efforts.
According to Gandapur, eight districts were hit hard by the latest torrential rains and flash floods, resulting in more than 400 deaths and over 240 injuries. He said 664 homes were completely destroyed and more than 2,400 partially damaged, alongside significant damage to schools, health centers, roads, and drinking water infrastructure.
The chief minister highlighted that the provincial government had swiftly launched rescue and relief operations and increased compensation payments. Families of deceased victims will now receive Rs2 million, while the injured will be given Rs500,000. Assistance for destroyed homes has been raised to Rs1 million, and partially damaged houses will get Rs300,000.
For the first time, he said, compensation has also been approved for shopkeepers — Rs500,000 for destroyed shops and Rs100,000 for those that were flooded but remain intact — as well as payments for losses to crops, orchards, and livestock.
Gandapur said all payments are being made digitally to ensure transparency and will be completed by Sunday. Bank accounts are being opened for children orphaned by the floods so they receive their full entitlement under official supervision.
The UN team assured the provincial government of continued support for flood-hit communities and offered help in uplifting other underdeveloped parts of KP as well.
