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Pakistan
SNAPSHOT
Date of independence: 1947
Capital: Islamabad
Population: 165.4 million (2007)
Annual income per person: $770
Source: World Bank Development Indicators 2007
USAID IN PAKISTAN
www.usaid.gov/pk
CONTACTS
Mission Director
Anne Aarnes
USAID/Pakistan
Tel: 92-51-208-2795
Officer In Charge
Anne Dix
Tel: (202) 712-5117
Email: adix@usaid.gov
USAID Education programs promote student learning in some of Pakistan’s most remote regions by training teachers in participatory learning, increasing parental involvement, and supporting infrastructural improvements for schools. (Photo: Masako Imaoka/On Asia) Overview
The goal of U.S. assistance to Pakistan is to support peace and stability in South Asia over the long term. Continued, broad-based economic progress is essential to maintain and enhance Pakistan’s political and economic stability. The U.S. government re-opened the USAID mission in Islamabad in 2002. From 2002 through 2007, USAID provided nearly $2.4 billion (including Emergency Economic Assistance) to address pressing needs in education, health, economic growth, and good governance, as well as assistance for reconstruction in areas devastated by the October 2005 earthquake.
Programs
Investing In People: Education
Approximately 79 percent of Pakistani children between the ages of 10 and 16 are out of school. Nearly half the adult population is illiterate—with approximately 42 percent of Pakistani women unable to read. USAID’s education programs cover the entire spectrum, including early childhood instruction, education policy reform, literacy, and scholarships for higher education. In the remote and underserved areas of Balochistan and Sindh, USAID helped teachers, school administrators, and parents form more than 3,000 committees to improve their government schools. In the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), USAID is rebuilding 60 schools. USAID also is giving Fulbright scholarships to 750 students to study in the United States and is providing need-based scholarships to 906 students to study in Pakistan.
Investing In People: Health
Pakistan's health indicators are among the worst in the world. For every 100,000 children born, 500 mothers die. Nearly 79 infants die for every 1,000 live births. Communicable diseases such as tuberculosis remain a serious concern. USAID is upgrading 40 hospitals and training 3,000 health staff to improve care for pregnant women and newborns. USAID also is increasing the availability of quality reproductive health products, so families can space births. USAID programs help to eradicate polio, reach communities vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, and decrease the incidence of tuberculosis.
Economic Growth: Creating Opportunities
Pakistan’s future depends on its ability to create jobs and promote investment. Since 2001, government policies—bolstered by foreign assistance and access to global markets—have helped the economy to grow by nearly 7 percent. USAID helps the poor directly by providing small loans and financial services in parts of the country that lack banks or other lending programs. A nationwide USAID-supported program changes banking practices to reach the large market of small businesses that are too big for micro-credit but too small for conventional loans. In Balochistan, USAID teaches techniques to increase agricultural production. USAID helps small- and medium-sized enterprises in industries like dairy, marble and granite, gems and jewelry, horticulture, furniture, and surgical instruments to become competitive and to create more and better jobs.
Governing Justly and Democratically
Accountable governance involving citizens’ input can make development initiatives more effective. USAID helps strengthen Pakistan’s national and provincial assemblies with technical assistance, training, and resource centers. USAID also supports the devolution of responsibility and budgeting to local governments by enhancing their ability to deliver better public services. In addition, USAID helps Pakistan’s Election Commission oversee and carry out free and credible national elections.
Humanitarian Assistance: Earthquake Reconstruction
The October 2005 earthquake caused massive loss of life and damage in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Following its relief efforts, USAID has now transitioned to a recovery and reconstruction program. The program rebuilds schools and health facilities, strengthens capacities of public health workers and district government education officials, and restores and improves livelihoods.
Non-Project Assistance
From 2002 to 2007, the U.S. government’s Emergency Economic Assistance (EEA) Agreements provided balance of payments, budget, and policy reform support to the Government of Pakistan during a time of economic hardship and political strain associated with Pakistan’s participation in the Global War on Terror. In 2008, the Emergency Economic Assistance will be put into USAID-managed development programs that directly improve the health, education, and economic opportunities of Pakistanis.
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