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Ehsaas commences emergency cash transfer to tribal daily wage earners across Waziristan

June 3, 2020 – Islamabad: Pakistan’s COVID-19 safety net response, Ehsaas Emergency Cash, has disbursed more than 117.49 billion Pakistani Rupees among 96.63 million vulnerable families across Pakistan. Recently, Ehsaas has commenced distribution of emergency cash to daily wage earners, pie rate workers, labourers, and small shopkeepers across North and South Waziristan areas of KP as well. These beneficiaries had applied for the cash assistance through 8171 SMS service. Dr. Sania Nishtar, PM’s Special Assistant on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation said, “Through 8171, total 61,164 SMS were received from North Waziristan and 62,499 from South Waziristan. Now, biometrically verified payments have begun to beneficiaries in Waziristan after ascertainment of their eligibility through NADRA’s data analytics using unique national identification numbers and drawing on the wealth proxies such as travel history, taxes, billing, assets ownership data and government employment status.”