UN national volunteers programme launched to help Pakistan’s quake victims

As part of broader UN efforts to help the victims of last year’s devastating earthquake in Pakistan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today launched a scheme to encourage Pakistanis to become National United Nations Volunteers (UNVs.)

The initiative, slated to run for three years, aims to support structures set up by the Pakistani authorities last November to help in earthquake relief, including by deploying national UNVs to the devastated areas.

While the National UNV scheme operates globally in more than 50 countries, including South Asian countries, this will be the first time it has been initiated in Pakistan.

“It is hoped that through this scheme qualified Pakistanis will be able to contribute to various development causes and ensure that strengthened human resources remain in the country,” the agencies said in a joint statement released in Islamabad.

Created by the General Assembly in 1970 to serve as an operational partner in development cooperation at the request of Member States, the UNV programme is administered by the UNDP. Around 70 per cent of the volunteers are citizens of developing States while the remaining 30 per cent come from the industrialized world.

Since the massive earthquake hit northern Pakistan on October 8, the United Nations has launched a massive operation to assist the authorities in dealing with the aftermath of a disaster that killed more than 70,000 people, injured 70,000 more and left up to 3 million homeless.

Pakistanis interested in becoming a UN Volunteer can register at www.undp.org.pk/unv