Second Phase of IOM-Supported Watan Card Project Launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The second phase of IOM-supported Watan Card Cash Grant Project for flood survivors began today (Wednesday) in the Charsadda and Mardan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Inaugurating the first new Watan Card Centre in Charsadda, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continue helping those displaced by the 2010 floods.

The Watan Cards are a cash grant scheme initiated by the government of Pakistan to compensate survivors of the devastating floods of 2010.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) issues the cards directly to individual beneficiaries, who are victims of the 2010 floods, based on assessments provided by each Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is providing technical support to the project as communications specialists and is responsible for all beneficiary-specific communications, including capacity-building of staff at each Watan Card centre managed by NADRA.

In addition, over 25,000 volunteers from IOM’s Human Network have also been mobilized in 100 districts across the country targeted in this project to provide guidance to beneficiaries on an individual level.

IOM’s activities in this partnership are funded through the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).

In the first phase, NADRA issued Watan Cards to 1.6 million households, through which they received grants of Rs. 20,000 each. This phase ended in August 2011.

In the second phase of the project, 1.1 million households will receive cash grants of Rs. 40,000 per household, particularly targeting vulnerable survivors such as the disabled and female-headed families. These will be paid in two Rs. 20,000 instalments, with the second payment coming three months after the first.

The Watan Card is an ATM card linked to a virtual account maintained by any one of three partner banks. Distribution of Watan Cards in other districts affected by floods is expected to begin soon.