The Ambassador of Switzerland Christoph Bubb together with his spouse Mrs Regula Bubb and the Consul General Didier Boschung visited the Dadu district in Sindh where the Swiss Red Cross is engaged in reconstruction of 710 houses for the flood-affected population. The visit had been organised by the Swiss Red Cross team.
The funding of this project was the result of a solidarity campaign launched by the foundation "Swiss Solidarity" in 2010 after the floods in Pakistan. This foundation raises funds for humanitarian relief works and projects whenever and wherever a calamity happens. The total amount collected for the flood-affected people of Pakistan is over 45 million USD and it came directly from the Swiss population. This shows the emotions that this tragedy caused in Switzerland and the solidarity of the Swiss people towards Pakistan.
The reconstruction of houses in Dadu district is carried out by the Swiss Red Cross in collaboration with its local partners. The project is run by "owner-driven approach" which means that the beneficiaries themselves have to be involved in the reconstruction of their homes. Furthermore, the scope of the project is not limited to reconstruction of houses only but also involves the residents in promoting community development and preparing for future disasters. The community development programmes include health and sanitation besides environmental care wherein members of the community will plant two trees per house.
Up till now, about 450 houses have been completed and the rest are under construction and are scheduled to be ready for use by June 2013. The Swiss envoy appreciated the work of the Swiss Red Cross and its representatives in Pakistan, particularly their engagement with the local communities.-PR