KPK and the Merged Areas: U.S. Assistance Fact Sheet

Zafar Iqbal

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) partners with the Pakistani government at the federal, provincial, and district levels to improve the lives of citizens in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, with a focus on the merged districts, by expanding governance, improving service delivery, and increasing economic opportunities.

U.S. assistance Fact Sheet

HIGHLIGHT

Stability and development in KP, particularly along the border with Afghanistan, are critical to global and regional security.

USAID is partnering with the Government of Pakistan to expand the presence of government institutions, provide basic services, and strengthen economic opportunities in KP’s Merged Areas formerly known as Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

These jointly-prioritized objectives are in line with Pakistan’s Tribal Decade Strategy for 2020-2030 and the mutual goal of increasing stability by delivering development to the Merged Areas.

Through a donation of $130 million completed the Gomal Zam Dam, provides enough capacity to power over 20,000 homes. The project also enabled local farmers in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts to successfully cultivate more than 191,000 acres thus creating economic opportunities for 30,000 households.

USAID constructed over 1,300 kilometres of roads including four major trade routes along the border region, the busiest of which caters to 16,000 vehicles every day.

USAID improved reading instruction for more than 600,000 children in KP by training over 14,000 teachers and distributing more than three million books for public use.

USAID has awarded more than 8,500 university scholarships and competitive grants to deserving yet financially disadvantaged Pakistani students who are pursuing careers in fields such as agriculture and business management that are vital to improving the economy.

USAID constructed 229 and rehabilitated more than 1,000 schools that were damaged due to militancy and natural disasters thus benefiting more than one million students.

The United States rehabilitated more than 200 facilities, 120 kilometres of the municipal drainage system, and 180 drinking water wells in Peshawar, which resulted in providing access to basic drinking water, sanitation, and solid waste management services to more than 2,000,000 people.

USAID provided equipment to 48 health units, donated medical equipment to six teaching hospitals, and supported the completion of a 120-bed Burns and Plastic Surgery Center in Peshawar.

USAID supported more than 130,000 women in remote areas to register and receive their national identity cards, which will include them in voter lists and give them benefits from various government support programs.

USAID supported 3,000 women, and farmers, by providing poultry packages and greenhouses in KP, contributing to their economic stability.

USAID contributed to the improvement of agriculture production of more than 220,000 hectares through improved irrigation networks, expanded horticulture value chains, and increased farmers’ access to markets.

Since 2008, the U.S. government has supported more than 2.2 million temporarily displaced persons by providing more than $338 million in humanitarian assistance in areas including agriculture, health and hygiene, food and water, security, shelter, and sanitation.

USAID also helped 1.9 million displaced people rebuild destroyed homes and resume their livelihoods in Pakistan.

GOVERNANCE

USAID partners with the Government of Pakistan to provide technical assistance to provincial and district-level governments to improve their capacity to integrate the former FATA into the province and to manage and monitor public services.

In addition, USAID works closely with the Government of KP on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of public infrastructure that was damaged by prolonged conflict with insurgents, security operations and humanitarian crises in the area.

These mutual investments have improved the delivery of public services as well as people’s trust in their government. Additionally, USAID is working with the Government of KP to enable sustainable public services in the merged districts by broadening the tax network.

USAID is also working with the Government of KP to establish a transparent and credible land record and registration system in the merged areas that will promote investment and economic growth.

Finally, USAID supports citizen-to-government dialogue on development priorities in the newly merged districts in order to build trust and increase cooperation between residents and the Government of KP stakeholders.

ECONOMIC GROWTH, AGRICULTURE AND RESILIENCE

USAID promotes sustainable and inclusive growth to increase stability and resilience.

USAID supports the Government of KP’s priorities of expanding economic infrastructure, creating sustainable economic opportunities, and instituting sustainable resource management by promoting private sector partnerships, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and trade opportunities.

In addition, USAID has contributed to the improvement of agricultural production of over 216,424 hectares by assisting the Government of KP to reclaim land, improve and expand irrigation networks, develop horticulture value chains and increase farmers’ access to markets.

USAID is also increasing power output in the region by updating and constructing new power-generation systems.

EDUCATION

USAID supports access to high-quality education, which is vital to economic growth, strengthens resilience, and promotes sustainable development.

With the literacy rate in the newly-merged districts at 33 percent overall and at only 12.7 percent among women, USAID’s education programs are strengthening the capacities of the local organizations to design and implement solutions to this complex issue.

Additionally, USAID’s higher education programming is providing university scholarships and competitive grants to deserving yet financially disadvantaged Pakistani students who are pursuing careers in fields such as agriculture and business management that are vital to improving the economy.

HEALTH

USAID is building partnerships with federal, provincial, and district health officials to deliver basic health services and prevent maternally and child deaths.

USAID’s partnership with the Government of Pakistan’s health and disaster management authorities strengthened district-level monitoring and rapid response teams, expanded testing, provided ventilators, and trained health workers, thereby increasing disease surveillance and response capacity for COVID-19 and adding to USAID’s efforts on global health security.

This partnership improved health outcomes by increasing citizens’ confidence in their healthcare system.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

Between 2008 and 2014, the United Nations reported that more than five million people in KP were displaced due to conflict and military operations.

Since 2008, USAID has supported more than 2.2 million temporarily-displaced persons by providing more than $338 million in humanitarian assistance in areas including agriculture, health and hygiene, food and water, security, shelter, and sanitation.