UNDP, Norwegian embassy team visits project sites
Report Gul Hamaad Farooqi
CHITRAL: A United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) team along with the Norwegian ambassador and officials visited different ongoing schemes in Chitral.
On their arrival, they were welcomed by local people and briefed by officials of an NGO regarding their training for youth on hotel management, waiter, receptionist and other programmes funded by the UNDP.
The team, comprising Ignacio Artaza, country director, Amanullah Khan, assistant country director, Muhi Usamah, disaster risk management specialist, Shuja Hakim, communications officer UNDP, and Naufil Naseer, programme advisor Norway embassy, and Tom Jorgen, first secretary development of Norway embassy.
They visited Balach girls primary school where the local community briefed them about their village organization and how they participated in different developmental and rehabilitation works of the area with the financial support of UNDP.
Ignacio Artaza shared his views with local community regarding UNDP funded programmes for enhancement of backward areas and raising awareness among the people. He said their organization always helped needy people facing natural calamities. The UNDP team also held a meeting with local mediapersons and listened to their views about Chitral after the 2015 floods and earthquake.
They said UNDP was working on soft schemes like training to youth for employment and their capacity building. The team visited Zargarandeh area which had been badly hit by flash flood last year.
The protection walls of different villages are under construction through the UNDP fund. They also visited Ochosht village where 13 people had lost their lives in a flood in 2012.
The local community, including Nazimeen, councilors, chairmen and presidents of village councils, appreciated the UNDP and Norway government and public for their support in term of rehabilitation and protection of the scenic valley from damages of flood by construction of check dams and protection wall etc.