SINDH, PAKISTAN NOV (DNA)- The visit of the MEPs aimed to see ongoing ECHO funded Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiatives being implemented across Sindh Province in collaboration with local authorities and partner organizations CESVI and WHH.
The delegation included Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from Five European countries:
1. Mr. Lukas MANDL, Chair of the DEVE mission to Pakistan, Member of the European Parliament, Austria
2. Mr. Robert BIEDROŃ, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Development (DEVE), Member of the European Parliament, (Poland)
3. Mr. Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR, Member of the European Parliament (Spain)
4. Mr. Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Member of the European Parliament (Czechia)
5. Mr. Marc JONGEN, Member of the European Parliament (Germany)
Along with Ms. Taheeni Thammannagoda, Head of Office for ECHO Pakistan, and accompanied by senior representatives of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan.
During their field visit, the European parliamentarians visited the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh to gain insights into provincial preparedness and response mechanisms supported by ECHO. The Director General of PDMA Sindh Syed Salman Shah briefed the delegation on PDMA’s operations, coordination frameworks, and technological innovations for disaster management.
The delegation shows keen interest in the ECHO-funded “BRAND” project (Building Resilience and Institutional Capacities on Natural Disasters), which is jointly implemented by Welthungerhilfe (WHH), a German NGO, and CESVI, an Italian NGO, in close collaboration with PDMA and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) in Mirpurkhas
The delegation visited project sites in Mirpurkhas and got engaged with local communities, and disaster management committees who have benefitted from the disaster risk reduction project.
During community meetings in Jhuddo, the delegation witnessed firsthand how ECHO’s support has strengthened local capacity to anticipate, respond to, and recover from climate-induced disasters. Community members shared their experiences of transformation—ranging from improved early warning systems and community-based disaster preparedness plans to livelihood resilience and women’s participation in local disaster committees.
Expressing his appreciation, Mr. Lukas MANDL, Chair of the DEVE mission, said: “I’m extremely impressed and grateful for the hospitality and warm welcome from the local community. They opened their hearts to us, and we have opened ours to them. The key challenges communities face in Pakistan can only be overcome by transforming systems related to agriculture, housing, education, especially girls’ education, and by creating more opportunities for women across various sectors.”
The visit reaffirmed the ECHO strong commitment to supporting Pakistan in building resilience against natural disasters and climate-induced challenges. While working closely with government institutions, humanitarian partners, and local communities to strengthen disaster risk governance, promote early warning mechanisms, and reduce the vulnerability of at-risk populations.
- The visit of the MEPs aimed to see ongoing ECHO funded Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiatives being implemented){kind=link}