USAID hints of possible projects in Pakistan

Following an absence of nearly a decade, US officials in the Pakistani capital Islamabad have hinted that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) may resume some of its activities in Pakistan. A spokesman for the US Embassy in Islamabad told IRIN on Tuesday: "USAID has sent several small teams to investigate possibilities for grants and small projects in Pakistan. Projects may be undertaken in the next fiscal year in the areas of basic education, continued NGO support and democracy building." He added, however: "These projects are subject to congressional approval and do not constitute a return of a USAID bilateral programme in Pakistan." An independent federal government agency based in Washington, USAID is the principal US agency extending assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, or engaging in democratic reforms. The agency works in six principal areas to achieve both sustainable development and the advancement of US foreign policy. The areas include economic growth and development; population, health and nutrition; environment; democracy and governance; education and training; and humanitarian assistance. The USAID bilateral programme began closing down its operations in Pakistan in 1992 as part of the Pressler sanctions imposed on Pakistan following the launch of its ongoing nuclear weapons research programme at the time.