U.S. assistance improving lives in Sindh

According to a press release by Consulate General of the United States of America, U.S. Consul General Brian Heath said that the country is committed to contribute to greater economic development and improved access to education and healthcare in Sindh and throughout Pakistan.

According to the the U.S. Consul General, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing assistance to Sindh across a broad range of areas, including education, health and energy.

Our support of the Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP) has ensured that another 50,000 children have access to 106 newly constructed schools, Heath said.

“Mr. Heath also pointed to the recently inaugurated Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences — an $18 million, 133-bed, state-of-the-art hospital that will improve primary and secondary health care services for more than 1 million people in northern Sindh and neighboring districts of Balochistan”, the release read.

“We also gave $36 million to the Jacobabad Water Project, which will provide clean drinking water and sanitation services to the more than 200,000 residents of that city,” Heath said.

The press release also stated that the Key to economic development is a reliable source of energy. The U.S. government has contributed $39 million to repairing and rehabilitating two thermal power stations in Sindh: the Guddu and Jamshoro thermal power stations.

“Our investments have significantly enhanced the power generation capacity of these plants by 270 megawatts (MW) — enough to supply electricity to some 600,000 homes or more than 3.5 million people,” the U.S. Consul General said.

In addition to these long-term development programs, the United States also assists Pakistan and its people during times of emergency. In response to the catastrophic 2010 floods, USAID donated more than $1 billion to stricken areas, many of them in northern Sindh,” said the U.S. consul general.

The release stated U.S. Consulate has also been a keen supporter of Sindhi culture. “We have hosted a Sindhi Culture Day reception for three years in a row now,” said Mr. Heath.

“We also launched Mission Pakistan’s first-ever Sindhi-language web site in September”, he said.