UKaid - shipping bridges to Pakistan

26 August 2010

Ten bridges are due to set sail from London, headed for Pakistan, to replace some of those destroyed by the floods. They will leave Tilbury Docks in the next few days to arrive in Karachi next month.

Two more bridges, acquired by DFID in Pakistan from the British Military, will be trucked from Karachi up to Khyber Pakhtunkwa over the coming week.

A team of DFID-funded engineers has been on the ground working with the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 5 August 2010, identifying priority sites and planning delivery of the bridges.

All 12 bridges are destined for the Malakand District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

The UK Government’s Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, said:

“The floods have washed away hundreds of bridges in Pakistan. The disruption caused by this damage to Pakistan’s infrastructure is immense. That’s why we’ve accelerated this £10million bridge project. These ten bridges will set sail from London soon, heading for Pakistan, and we are trucking a further two bridges up from Karachi to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“People rely on bridges; they’re vital transport links; and will allow people to get to school, work, and get on with their lives.”

The bridges were planned as part of a pre-agreed project, however the start date (originally scheduled for the New Year) has been accelerated to help Pakistan recover from the floods.

The UK Government has now committed £64 million to help people in Pakistan affected by the floods. This is helping millions of people access safe drinking water, toilets, emergency shelter, health care, and other essentials.

A summary of the UK Government’s contributions to date can be viewed here: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/2010/Floods-in-Pakistan/