AusAID-Pakistan Partnership

Although Pakistan has made significant strides in meeting many of the Millennium Development Goals, progress toward achieving three key targets — eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, achieving universal primary education, and improving maternal health — has been problematic. Pakistan — where one-fifth of the population lives on less than $1.25 per day and home to 5 percent of stunted children in the world — currently ranks 146 out of 186 countries in the 2013 Human Development Index. More than 5 million children are out of school, and gender disparity among enrolled students remains high, according to UNESCO’s 2012 EFA Global Monitoring Report. In addition, the South Asian country is not expected to meet its adult literacy target by 2015. And as of 2010, the country’s maternal mortality ratio was 260 out of 100,000 live births. Apart from its socio-economic problems, Pakistan is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. The country has been hit with major flooding annually since 2010; flooding that began in late July 2010 resulted to an estimated $43 billion in economic losses and affected more than 20 million people. Given this background, the Australian Agency for International Development is focusing its assistance on helping Pakistan achieve MDGs related to health and education, and reduce poverty levels through agriculture and rural development. AusAID is also working on supporting democratic governance and stability, spurring economic growth, and addressing humanitarian needs in the South Asian country. Funding levels For the period of 2010-2014, Australia has allocated 483 million Australian dollars ($430 million) in aid to Pakistan — an average of AU$96.6 million annually. Click on the image to view a larger version of the table. Within Pakistan, AusAID’s geographic focus is on the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Along with 10 other bilateral donors, the agency currently supports the World Bank in implementing a multidonor trust fund, which finances initiatives that address both provinces’ conflict and humanitarian conditions. AusAID currently does not provide direct budget support to the government of Pakistan, but instead courses assistance through multilateral institutions, nongovernmental organizations and other donors that have a strong presence in the South Asian country. Funding priorities AusAID’s engagement in Pakistan focuses on three primary sectors: health, education, and agriculture and rural development; governance and humanitarian response are secondary sectors. The agency is committed to promoting gender equality in its overall aid programming in the country. Below is the breakdown of AusAID’s funding allocation by area for the 2011-2014 period. Some of the programs AusAID funds solely or with other donors include: - National Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Program (2008-2014), a $30.5 million program funded in cooperation with the U.K. Department for International Development that aims to support the government of Pakistan’s countrywide maternal and child health initiatives. AusAID’s contribution for fiscal 2012-2013 is $6 million. - Support to Maternal and Child Health in the Border Areas (2012-2015), a $13.6 million program implemented through Save the Children that aims to assist the provincial government in providing maternal, newborn and child health services in Balochistan. - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Capacity Development Plan (2011-2015), a $7.9 million program implemented through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, or GIZ, that aims to help the provincial government to deliver education services for the children and youth, particularly for girls, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. AusAID’s contribution to the project for fiscal 2012-2013 is $2.5 million. Devex analysis AusAID’s program in Pakistan is guided by the Memorandum of Understanding on Partnership for Development signed by Australia and Pakistan in 2011. The memorandum outlines the commitments, principles and priorities for aid cooperation between the two countries. In 2011, Canberra released its overall aid policy document, An Effective Aid Program for Australia, which states that it has a long-term national interest in supporting the welfare of the Pakistanis. A reflection of this strong commitment is its focus on helping the country to meet three critical MDGs: eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, achieving universal primary education, and improving maternal health. For 2011-2014, AusAID has allocated 60 percent of its aid to areas that are focused on achieving the MDGs where Pakistan is severely lagging behind. Among the activities the agency aims to support in fiscal 2013-2014 are those that will help improve the health and reduce malnutrition of at least 90,000 women and children. It also plans to help 3,000 farmers gain access to better agricultural technology and on-farm management practices. Nonetheless, AusAID maintain a flexible aid program in Pakistan to allow it respond swiftly when needed, such as providing humanitarian assistance during natural disasters. Contact: Australian High Commission, Pakistan Tel.: (92-51) 835-5500 Fax: (92-51) 282-0418 Join the Devex community and gain access to more in-depth analysis, breaking news and business advice — and a host of other services — on international development, humanitarian aid and global health.