#empowerpakistanbyazd

Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response: Logistics and Essential Services

“..This train from Yiwu to Madrid, which is the longest rail line in the world, has been regularly running since 2014. It usually carries electronics, automobile components, and other goods, but from now until the crisis ends the company has made space available to any individuals or companies looking to make a donation to theContinue reading “Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response: Logistics and Essential Services”

Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response: What of the Small and Medium Enterprises?

I am lucky to be part of a very able and noble group under the aegis of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) who are daily undertaking analysis and discussions and recommendations geared towards the policy makers in our holy state of Pakistan. Today, after the daily morning virtual meeting of this group around COVID-19Continue reading “Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response: What of the Small and Medium Enterprises?”

Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response: To Test or Not to Test

With so much information floating around and being absorbed or otherwise, I will not bore you with the numbers but simply provide a distillation of our on-going discussions focused on “should we be testing everybody in Pakistan?” This is an important discussion as it impacts other on-going discussions around the cost of testing, the modeContinue reading “Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response: To Test or Not to Test”

Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response: Getting Rations to the Needy

As is often the case with solutions, it is the simplest ones that are the most elegant and applicable. Problem statement is as follows: delivery of food or rations to needy in urban and in rural areas. Solution can be as follows: use the local kiryana-stores and hawkers supplemented by mohalla and village volunteers. ConstraintsContinue reading “Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response: Getting Rations to the Needy”

Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response and the International Financial Institutions: Where is the Rapid Needs Assessment and a National Action Plan?

In times of disaster, and we are in one, almost all nations opt for a national action plan to both react and to proactively prepare for relief, recovery, and restoration/rebuilding; often including building resilience post disaster. In global vernacular it is called DRM or Disaster Risk Management, also often Disaster Risk Mitigation and Management. DisastersContinue reading “Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response and the International Financial Institutions: Where is the Rapid Needs Assessment and a National Action Plan?”