Friday, August 13, 2010

Zardari 'Diverted £300m Quake Aid To Other Causes'

More than 300 million pounds in foreign aid for Victims of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake has Been diverted by President Asif Ali Zardari's government Thurs mutch Causes, Officials Told not have The Daily Telegraph.

They now fear That the Alleged diversion of funds will deter donors are from Giving Aid Further details on the country's Devastating floods.

According to Senior Officials, schools, hospitals, houses and roads with Planned Given money by foreign governments and Aid groups, Including Britain, Remain unbuilt, Almost five years on the earthquake killed 80.000 people and left four million homeless.

International donors are Gave pounds 3.5 Billion Thurs rebuild response Areas of Kashmir and Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

However, senior Pakistani officials as Said Friday That is more than just pounds 300 million in Aid Given had yet to Be handed over to the country's Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA).

Given Britain has 86 million pounds in AID, Including 50 million pounds to the ERRA. It Monitored Many of the construction projects it had Funded, Said a spokesman for the Department for International Development (DFID).

Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's opposition leader, Said Suspicion Among Potential donors are was hampering the fund-raising effort Thurs help people Displaced by the floods not have That Swept away buildings, bridges and roads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab provinces.

"There's reluctance - Even people in this country are not in the Giving generously into this fund flood Because they're Not too mourn the money will be spent Honestly," He Said on Friday.

Mr. Zardari has been criticised for jo Been at his handling of the floods on the failing Thurs cancel an overseas trip That included a meeting with David Cameron at Chequers.

So far, 14 million people need dependency help and at last not have 1.600, making it the world's worst Humanitarian disaster, According to the United Nations.

Earth Quake Reconstruction directors were first Told Their budgets were cut Being in March last year, "when 12 Billion Pakistan rupees (pounds 90 million) were diverted Thurs mutch government projects.

They were Told: "When the money but we have me will pay you," said one senior official. "All the money was Given by Western governments, but their Crap think 1 / 8 the Pakistani government 3 / 8 Said," but we have So Many Other Problems, '? " they added.

In June this year, ERRA staff were Told Their 2010-2011 budget of 43 Billion rupees (pounds 322 million) had Been cut Thurs 1910 Billion rupees (75 million pounds).

In Balakot, M = 5.000 of the town's 25.000 people were killed in the earthquake, Thousands of Families were Told Their town, I should get rebuilt Six miles away Because It Stood you directly above the fault line.

But despite the Promises That'll be the new town by Completed last month, not a single road has Been Completed nor has begun construction on the site of "New Balakot." When the Telegraph visited the site this week, diggers Stood rusting and security Guards Said there had Been no work there for more than a year. Officials Said contractors had Not Been paid since April and were owed 22.5 million pounds.

Kamal Nawaz, 30, from the village of Gairlat, M Families of 14 are living in temporary two-room huts, said: "They Told us They Zapraszamy build-three new Balakots vain we're still waiting for one."

An ERRA meeting Thurs discuss the Funding Crisis this month decided there'd be "no further work is all on-going projects", while'll be the offices closed and assets auctioned due to a "rationalization Exercise." More than 2.000 of ERRA's staff, around 85 cents Fri, Given, I should get redundancy notices next week, an official CONFIRMED.

Pakistan's finance secretary, Salman Siddiq, Said the government had Rejected Requests for extra funds Because of the country's Fiscal Deficit vain denied foreign Aid funds had been diverted Bee. "No cuts were imposed last year," he said.

A DFID spokesman said: "The British Government has made clear it is reviewing all of ITS Programs That Thurs ensure our Aid is transparent, accountable and helps those who currently need dependency it most."

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