World Bank approves $300 million for Sindh rural water projects
The funding will provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to 1.5 million people in rural Sindh through the Star WASH One project.
Rural Sindh will receive $300 million in financing for clean water and sanitation after the project was approved on Saturday, the World Bank said in a statement.
The funding will support the Star WASH One project, which will provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to 1.5 million people in rural areas of the province.
The bank said unsafe water and poor sanitation are a major reason children in Pakistan do not grow to their expected height, and the project will address a key cause of stunting among children in rural Sindh.
The bank's country director announced that it would continue to support water supply projects in rural Sindh.
The World Bank is an international lender that provides loans and grants to developing countries, including Pakistan, for projects in areas such as health, education and infrastructure.
Stunting refers to children being too short for their age, a condition that health experts have linked to repeated infections caused by contaminated water and poor hygiene in early childhood.
Sindh is one of Pakistan's four provinces, and many of its rural communities rely on water sources that are not always safe for drinking, which makes access to clean water a long-standing concern for local and national authorities.
