Malnutrition, natural disasters: Japan contributes $10.6 million grant to KP, Sindh and Balochistan

Japan has announced grant aid of US $10.6 million in three projects to fight malnutrition, improve livelihood and increase resilience to natural disasters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. The government of Japan signed partnership agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) here on Tuesday.
Out of the total $10.6 million, $3.5 million grant will be used in early identification and treatment of 155,000 acutely malnourished mothers and children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including families who have been displaced from Afghanistan and vulnerable host populations. These projects will be launched in four host communities' districts including Peshawar, Noshara, Kohat and Hangu.
"The WFP is extremely grateful for the continued partnership and generosity of the Japanese government in providing emergency life-saving nutritional support for malnourished mothers and children," WFP Representative Finbarr Curran said.
Japanese contribution also includes $3.55 million towards UNDP's stabilisation through inclusive livelihoods initiative in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is being implemented in close collaboration with the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the erstwhile Fata Secretariat. It will support 20,700 people by improving their access to basic services, enhancing their economic opportunities and improving social cohesion in Kurram and Orakzai tribal districts.
The Japanese government will also support Pakistan at national and local levels to prepare for natural disasters, pilot tsunami early warning systems and enhance resilience of coastal communities to coastal hazards with a specific focus on women and children. The project to be implemented in Malir and Karachi West districts of Sindh and Gwadar district of Balochistan will benefit 15,000 people.
The project is being implemented by the UNDP in partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority, Provincial DMAs of Sindh and Balochistan, Pakistan Meteorological Department, district administrations of Karachi (Malir and West Karachi) and Gwadar, and other technical and community-based organisations working in the coastal areas.
"Empowering vulnerable local communities and enhancing their resilience to withstand crises requires coordinated efforts by all stakeholders. The generous support provided by the government of Japan will be an important step towards helping improve livelihoods of the people returning to the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and will complement efforts to support successful implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan," said Ignacio Artaza, Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan.
"Through these funds for Afghan refugees and their hosting communities and the people in the newly-merged districts of KP, we would like to show our message to the people that Japan continues its support for the stabilisation of their life. By sharing experiences of natural disasters in Japan, we secure our cooperation to share efficient monitoring and warning systems for earthquake and tsunami through the UNDP policy and instructive support," Japanese Ambassador-designate Kuninori Matsuda said.