Chitral, Pakistan, 16 September 2022 - This week the Minister of International Development for Canada, the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, visited Chitral, a flood-affected district in Pakistan’s north. He was accompanied by the High Commissioner for Canada to Pakistan, Ms. Wendy Gilmour, Canadian Member of Parliament, Ms. Iqra Khalid, President of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, Mr. Hafiz Sherali and CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan, Mr. Akhtar Iqbal. Minister Sajjan met with communities in Chitral and observed the Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) flood response and early recovery efforts in severely hit areas.

The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, AKDN’s lead response agency for the floods, evacuated over 9,000 people from affected areas, while more than 4,000 families have been provided with food packages. The Aga Khan University and Aga Khan Health Services have set up healthcare camps treating over 52,000 patients in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

As part of his visit, the Minister spent time in Brep, a flood-affected village in Chitral. He took part in discussions around climate change resilience, youth employment and women’s empowerment. The delegation also visited areas where AKDN is implementing programmes supported by Global Affairs Canada, including Broadening Economic and Social Transformation for Women’s Economic Empowerment and Recovery, Foundations for Health and Empowerment and Sehatmand Khandaan. These initiatives focus on women’s empowerment, and improving the health, well-being and equitable development of women, girls, their families and their communities. 

For nearly four decades, AKDN has partnered with the Government of Canada on numerous initiatives in Pakistan that encompass rural development, youth employment, education, health and women’s empowerment, all with a goal of improving the quality of life of vulnerable communities.

There has been a longstanding relationship between Pakistan and Canada. The Government of Canada has shown its concern at this critical time and has committed to support the efforts of the Government of Pakistan in its relief activities.

For more information please contact:

Laila Naz Taj

Email: laila.taj@akdn.org

Read more about:

Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Aga Khan Health Services, Aga Khan University and Aga Khan Foundation