$200 Million Grant Agreement for Reconstruction Signed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2006
www.usaid.gov/pk/
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - The United States Government, represented by Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, R. Nicholas Burns, and Pakistan Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, along with the Chairman of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, Lt-Gen Muhammad Zubair, officially commenced the United States Government's support of the Government of Pakistan's earthquake reconstruction program today.
Undersecretary Burns and Minister Khar signed a 4-year, $200 million grant agreement with the first traunche of $15 million given today, marking the next phase of U.S. Government Assistance for earthquake relief - helping communities rehabilitate, rebuild and revive.
This first traunch of $15 million from the United States for Pakistan's earthquake reconstruction represents the firm commitment of President Bush and the American people to the relief and reconstruction of Pakistan. Undersecretary Burns remarked, "The agreement signed here today is the first contribution toward our $200 million pledge for rebuilding schools and hospitals destroyed by the earthquake and for reviving the livelihoods and systems needed for effective education and health care."
The new grant is in addition to the current 5-year, $1.5 billion United States Agency for International Development (USAID) program that provides education, health, economic growth and governance support throughout Pakistan.
The United States has pledged a total of $510 million in earthquake relief and reconstruction efforts to assist the people of Pakistan and to support Pakistani government relief and reconstruction efforts, and the $200 million grant agreement for reconstruction is part of the United States' pledge.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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